Editorial
Time to be proactive, Mr President
It is now a question of when, not if, the feuding political camps will face off. The battle-line has been drawn and both sides, each of whom commands formidable popular support, have made it clear that they will not budge from their respective positions, which, needless to say, are conflicting. They have also made it clear that each will oppose any arrangement that can be construed, even remotely, as a consequence of the demand by the other. In such circumstances, the notion that the president and chief adviser to the caretaker government, Iajuddin Ahmed, can resolve the prevailing political impasse by making certain decisive moves increasingly seems to be rooted more in wishful thinking than in reality. Unless and until the alliances on either side of the political divide soften their respective stances, whatever moves the president makes, and however decisive these may be, will only deepen the crisis instead of resolving it.
One may conclude then — justifiably, we must agree — that there is nothing for the president to do other than sitting back and letting the feuding camps engage in a war of attrition to resolve their differences. However, we believe only the president can steer the country clear of the political quagmire it is fast sinking into. He holds the office of head of both the state and the government, and has to bring his dual role into play to full effect now. In times of political instability, the state must assert itself; as part of such assertion, Iajuddin must ensure that the law-and-order situation does not spiral out of control. As the head of state, he must take actions that are unbiased and unambiguous, both in reality and public perception. As the head of government, he must get the political process back on track. He has so far listened and allowed the political parties to talk; now it is time for him to talk and make the political parties listen.
To do that, he must first get his act together. Ever since his installation as the chief adviser, allegations of partisan bias have been levelled against him more often than not. True, such allegations have not been proved; however, these have not been disproved, either. Moreover, he has so far shrouded himself in silence, which has given rise to even more misgivings in the public about his intent on one hand and distanced him from his council of advisers on the other. It is time for him to come out into the open and become proactive. While his actions must be decisive, these must not be perceived as unilateral. He has to take his advisers into confidence at every stage of the way, which he has apparently refused to do. More importantly, he has to be transparent all along, letting the public know what he is doing and what he plans to do.
There is a premium on his success as head of both the state and the government. His actions will decide whether there will be continuity of the political process or the country will slide down the path to uncontrollable political disorder, which our beleaguered country cannot afford.
Robbing children of their innocence
Innocence is perhaps the most distinctive feature of childhood. The innate gift of unsullied laughter and joyful play is invariably lost as the years go by. So every child has as much right to life itself as to innocence, because it is synonymous with childhood and no one has the right to take that away from him.
A report published in New Age on Thursday said that street children were being used as picketers during the countrywide blockade enforced by the Awami League-led political alliance for petty sums of money, and that several hundred of them were tortured by the law enforcers. According to statistics, over 1,000 such picketers were arrested and tortured, both before and after their arrests. Yet again, a photograph published in New Age on Sunday showed a human chain of the Citizens’ Rights Movement demanding removal of the chief election commissioner, MA Aziz, with two children holding placards.
We note with concern the exploitation of children and subsequently making them vulnerable to persecution by law enforcing agencies. We believe that using children as pawns in such a manner for purposes that are quite beyond their understanding violate their guaranteed rights as children. Furthermore it is also criminal, since it is because of the political parties — all of them have been party to the same tactic — that these children become susceptible to persecution.
The photograph of the two children holding up placards, claiming that blockades due to Aziz obstinately refusing to step down led to the price hike of essentials, was no less offensive either. The
obvious implication of the placards that the children held was a shameful attempt to muster cheap sentiment. It strikes us as all the more offensive and thoughtless since it is coming from a section
of civil society that pretends to be more rational and wiser than others.
We strongly point out that using children in political movements, that are not only controversial but have also brought about violence and bloodshed, is abominable. We consider it unpardonable to rob children of their innocence.
No light at the end of the tunnel
It is difficult to feel hopeful at this point of this political deadlock being broken. On the one hand, the political parties are unwilling to retreat from their positions, and on the other, we have a caretaker administration which till now has not been able to provide any practical solutions to the political problems facing us… It no longer matters where the solutions come from, as long as they come soon and before the country pays too high a price,
writes Shameran Abed
FOR a man vested with the powers of the head of state, head of government and supreme commander of the armed forces, Iajuddin Ahmed is cutting a rather sorry figure of late. For a short while, right after he took oath as the chief adviser to the caretaker government, he appeared like a man transformed. Although evidence of his frail health could hardly be covered up, he nevertheless seemed determined to deliver the country from crisis and pave the way for timely elections. The people had given him the benefit of their doubt as well, even if only to reassure themselves that the worst was over. What has unfolded since has all but extinguished the flicker of light that had appeared at end of the tunnel.
As things stand now, this country is heading towards a period of sustained chaos. The resumption of the non-stop ‘oborodh’ (blockade) after its four-day suspension marks the beginning of a new period of anxiety and uncertainty for the people. While the few days of oborodh last week had brought the country to its knees, it had been largely a peaceful demonstration by the Awami League-led alliance. All indications are to the contrary this time around.
On the one hand, the AL-led alliance is forging ahead with greater urgency and desperation to undo the machinations of the last government, to level the playing field before the elections, or so they claim. What had begun as a movement to prevent Justice KM Hasan from becoming the chief adviser to the caretaker government turned into a movement for the ouster of the chief election commissioner once the Hasan issue had been resolved to an even worse outcome for the Awami League. From today, this movement takes a new turn as the AL-led alliance, backed by some other parties, such as the Liberal Democratic Party and Jukta Front, is demanding that the president resign as chief adviser and appoint a new chief adviser who will be acceptable to all major political parties.
On the other hand, the BNP has put the entire weight of its support behind the president and the chief election commissioner. For one, it does not want the Awami League to have all its demands met, lest it makes the BNP look weak in the eyes of the electorate. But more importantly, it is buying time; trying its best to delay the elections behind the scenes while publicly demanding that the election schedule be announced at once. The more time it can put between the end of its tenure and the holding of the elections, the greater it feels are its chances of success. Therefore, an end to the current impasse does not seem to be in its best interests. The BNP, which did not come out onto the streets during the four days of oborodh last week, has decided now that the time has come for it to hold political programmes of its own. The country should brace for the impact, but there is no reason to hope that death will be quick and painless. Instead, the country will be left bruised and battered, lacking a limb or two, before common sense prevails and the country is pulled back from the point of total self-destruction at the last possible moment.
It has become abundantly clear that a constitutional route out of the current crisis will not be found, at least not in time to prevent a violent bloodbath. Any solution to the current crisis will have to be political. Yet our two major political parties and their respective alliances seem entirely unwilling to make any concessions or to retreat from their stated positions. Rather, they are moving forward with greater resolve to further their partisan interests. That this is nothing more than a crude power play at the expense of the people that these parties claim to represent is an old and oft-repeated story; just how far these parties are willing to go is all that the country is waiting to see.
The rigidity of the AL position is proving to be counterproductive, since the chief election commissioner has obviously decided to hold on to his position come hell or high water. Just as the Awami League had provisionally accepted the president as chief adviser, so can it the chief election commissioner on condition that the voter list is corrected as quickly as possible. That is, in all practicality, the real obstacle to the holding for fair elections, at least as far as the election commission is concerned. Once a correct and credible voter list is prepared, the onus would shift to the caretaker government to ensure that the elections are held in a free and fair manner, since the civil administration, the law enforcement agencies and the armed forces are under its control. However, this party is not even willing to discuss the voter list and the other EC-related demands while this chief election commissioner is still in place. In bringing the country to a standstill to have its ever-growing list of demands met, the Awami League runs the risk of losing popularity and distancing itself from the electorate. It would have been much better served had it decided against the resumption of the very unpopular non-stop oborodh, and given a clear declaration of not contesting in any elections until its demands, mainly that of having a correct voter list prepared, were met.
To be fair, however, it is the BNP that has the most ground to give. After all, this party was in power for the last five years and it is the election-related groundwork laid down by this party that is at the core of every problem at the moment. Also, hardly any doubts remain that the BNP is exercising significant influence on the chief adviser to the caretaker government and is providing the vital support on which the chief election commissioner is drawing his strength. Any political solution, therefore, will require the BNP to withdraw its support for the chief election commissioner and to stop interfering in the work of the caretaker government, something that the party does not seem to have any inclination towards doing.
Under these circumstances, it is up to the chief adviser and his caretaker government to assert itself on the political parties. Enough time has been spent on discussions and consultations. Now, with violence looming large, it must provide a clear and decisive route out of this current mess. Yet, in its short time in government, this caretaker administration has lacked a distinct sense of purpose. The chief adviser in particular, with all the power that he could ever have hoped for, has shown himself to be weak and ineffective at best, vulnerable and entirely susceptible to pressure from the party that put him in office at worst.
Therefore, it is wishful thinking now to expect much from this chief adviser and of any government under his leadership. After two rounds of discussion on Saturday, and having decided on a ‘package solution’ to offer to the political parties through a presidential address to the nation, the cabinet could not decide on the date on which this offer would be made. Does this government need reminding that there is a political crisis going on in this country which is on the verge of taking a violent shape unless some sort of intervention is made at the earliest possible opportunity?
It is difficult to feel hopeful at this point of this political deadlock being broken. On the one hand, the political parties are unwilling to retreat from their positions, and on the other, we have a caretaker administration which till now has not been able to provide any practical solutions to the political problems facing us. There may be a case for civil society to intervene, but any intervention must be in the form of proposing solutions that are practical, realistic and acceptable to the parties. It no longer matters where the solutions come from, as long as they come soon and before the country pays too high a price.
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