We need a national government
With a rock solid determination for reforms, besides running the affairs of the government in a political vacuum by a council of advisers, it was feared that a spark anywhere might turn into a political firestorm. In Dhaka University, the highly politicized student wing came forward to give that a jump start. I commented in my last article published in The Daily Star on September 18 that the students never really came back from the streets. I wish I were wrong. From a trifling squabble between a few students and young soldiers a different ballgame unfolded. Instead of negotiating for peace, when some teachers fueled the fire with political demands like withdrawal of national emergency, resignation of the IG police, home secretary and unconditional apology from the Army Chief, they certainly lost the moral high-ground. The nation is deeply disappointed with the behavior of the university teachers at a critical time. The unbecoming behavior robbed us- the army of former students, the right to demand their release, but still pray for leniency on humanitarian grounds. The political parties have their followers among the students, teachers, lawyers, government officers, media and intellectuals, businessmen, commoners; even among the imams of mosques, to defend and debate. A government is run by the cabinet but the partisans in all fronts put up proactive defense down to remote villages against the government. It's nearly a year that we had a political government. The nation had invited the advisers' as caretakers - not a government, much less a revolutionary one. When the caretakers set the reforms in motion without organic political backup, they had drawn resistance and hostility from all vested quarters. Vitally necessary organizational advocacy from the partisans were totally missing for the apolitical regime. Political activities might be restricted; but one-sided whispering campaign was very much active. Under economic constrains, natural calamities and wavering on decisions, the caretaker regime became vulnerable to defamation and propaganda. The workload was simply staggering for the ten and the team was buckling under pressure. To conceive a caretaker council with all powers of a revolutionary government but without a bridge with the people, and the armed forces with the burden of responsibility but without authority is ridiculous. The advisers contradicted one another on many occasions; especially open admission of 'minus two theory' was a public relations disaster. A harmful impression was conveyed that the advisers were not together and political vendetta was part of the apolitical agenda. A noble intention of anticorruption drive for clean politics had a good start but was soon marred with controversies. The demolition of illegal shanties and uprooting of street hawkers were the right things wrongly done, at a wrong time. Unfortunately, the economy was also substantially dependent on black money and malpractices for a long time to accept reforms without resistance. Price hike of essentials and nosedive of booming real estate prices were a part of economic resistance. Many in the wild fire of student protest were not students really; but the uprooted hawkers, shanty dwellers and vagabonds. An honest and efficient government will never allow the bureaucrats to make money; at the same time, an honest bureaucracy can hardly stop a corrupt government from their nefarious activities. When highest political positions forced into money making machines, both bureaucracy and business were contaminated with quick money and promotion culture. Even under a bloody revolution habits do not change overnight. No matter how desperate the necessity and endeavor, a minimum time is needed for the reforms to percolate into the main stream of national culture. Transparency in the political field should set a trend in business and bureaucracy. The political reforms earnestly desired by the people should be pursued with the singleness of mind and sustained beyond next election. If one can role a stone, from a hilltop it travels much faster and more distance than the applied force under Newton's law. But law of gravitation is not enough; weight and speed should have been combined for the desired impact. The council of advisers had the support of the people and weight of the army, but they divided the effort into paltry pebbles and threw those in all directions. It alerted offenders and allowed time for regrouping. In the trivial squabble between a few students and young soldiers, whose age was below the average of the students, the vested interests behaved in full ferocity. The long arm of bad politics, muscle and money spoke the rest. The armed forces cannot be the sole underwriter of the caretakers for the length of the time beyond 90 days and their activities, more importantly, the caretaker government must have a safe exit route from legal and constitutional brawls; once an elected government is installed. The question needs to be addressed now; who will offer the exit route and how. Liberation war, counter insurgency operations in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Sharbahara, Matin-Alauddin, Huq- Toha operations, floods, devastating tidal bore in the costal areas, election duties, where has the army not gone to hold the flag high and make the governments functional. While the duties speak for the sacrifice of the soldiers, we must admit, it also speaks of the weakness of political health of the country. It is an honor for the armed forces to make sacrifices for the cause of the nation. Dying is not a big deal for the soldiers. If someone is trying to kick a soldier and asking the army to retreat humiliatingly from a situation, I bet, that army will not fight and give life for the nation. Conducting a national election was the best designed agenda for a 'caretaker council of ten', it is not expected to run the government and carryout reforms for two long years. A car may be faster but not robust enough to carry a truckload. In any case when the fixed period of 90 days runs into years the idea of caretaker becomes redundant and dies a natural death. Only option is to go for a national government under universal law of necessity with honest and courageous people who are willing to take the political heat of the reforms and sustain it into the elections. We must admit, deferring election up to the end of 2008 is not constitutionally provisioned nor formally approved by the people. No matter, caretaker, interim or national government, two years is too long a period that will certainly need the approval of the people or their representatives in the parliament to set the legal and constitutional controversies at rest. It is time to decide and the nation cannot afford to be shy while carrying out vitally important political reforms to save it from anarchy. The author is a freelancer
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments