Demand for neutral govt in focus now

With the general election around three months away, the BNP and some smaller political parties seem to be converging on one demand -- polls under a non-partisan government.

Outside the BNP-led 20-party alliance, which has long been voicing the demand, a number of political parties have lately formed alliances targeting the election and brought the issue to the fore. 

However, none of them has come up with an outline as to how such an interim administration would be formed; the BNP says it is working on a formula that will be made public soon.

On Saturday, the Juktofront, comprised of Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh, Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Janata League, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) and Nagorik Oikya, forged unity with Dr Kamal Hossain's Jatiya Oikya Prokriya.

They unveiled five demands that include formation of a neutral government to ensure level-playing field for all the parties after dissolution of parliament before the announcement of the election schedule.

“Formula is not an issue here,” Mahmudur Rahman Manna, member secretary of Juktofront, told The Daily Star yesterday.

“First the government has to agree in principle that the election will be held under a non-partisan interim government. If the government agrees, it is a matter of a few hours to finalise the formation of the election-time government.”

The Left Democratic Alliance, a newly formed platform of eight left-leaning parties, also raised the demand for holding of the next parliamentary election under a non-partisan administration.

Mujahidul Islam Selim, president of the Communist Party of Bangladesh, a component of the alliance, said, “It is not an issue of only CPB or any other party. The formation of the polls-time government should be discussed with all the stakeholders. Talks are needed to form the government."

During talks with the Election Commission last year, at least 19 political parties demanded dissolution of parliament before or after the announcement of election schedule, while 19 others insisted that the next polls should be held under a non-partisan administration.

Seven parties demanded an election-time government formed with representatives of parties that have representation in parliament or are registered with the EC.

Only eight parties, including the ruling Awami League and some of its allies, were in favour of elections under the incumbent government, in line with the constitution.

Currently, there are 40 registered political parties in the country.

"None has outlined the polls-time government yet. How the polls-time government can be formed and who will be there should be made clear by the parties,” Tarek Shamsur Rahman, a professor at Jahangirnagar University, told The Daily Star.

He, however, said the prime minister has to take the initiative for talks in this regard.

Prof Imtiaz Ahmed, a teacher of international relations at Dhaka University, has a different view.

“I think there will be an election-time government like the one formed ahead of the last election, and all the political parties will participate in the polls,” he said.

"In the country's politics, demands are rarely met because the ruling parties believe that accepting the demands of opposition is a sort of defeat.”

In November 2013, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina formed a polls-time cabinet of 29 ministers with MPs from the AL, the Jatiya Party and the Workers Party. The BNP and its allies boycotted the 2014 parliamentary election, demanding a non-partisan interim government.

The system of non-partisan caretaker government was introduced in 1996 through a constitutional amendment. It was abolished in 2011, creating a political crisis that resulted in the holding of the one-sided election in January 5, 2014.

Ahead of the 2014 election, Hasina had offered the then main opposition BNP ministerial portfolios of its choice in the interim cabinet.

But the BNP rejected the offer. Defending the decision, some of the BNP-led alliance leaders referred to the PM's absolute power to overrule decisions of the ministers.

With the next parliamentary election getting nearer, the issue over the mode of election-time government is dominating the political arena as the BNP continues to demand a neutral polls-time administration.

Moudud Ahmed, BNP's standing committee member, said the demand for election under a non-partisan government is the demand of the people, not only of his party.

"A national consensus has already been reached on the polls-time government. We will come up with a formula of election-time government within this month,” he said.

At a programme yesterday, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said, “The election will be held as per the constitution.”

On Juktofront's demands for dissolving parliament and reconstituting the Election Commission, he said, “Such demands are now irrelevant, illogical and unconstitutional.”