We are deeply worried about the current political deadlock. No party is willing to take the risk of losing the upper hand even for a single term. The fallout has been endless animosity, vengeance and stubbornness. It is difficult for democratic norms to find any place in this prevailing dread, where democracy often turns into elected autocracy.
It is unfortunate that four decades after our independence, we could not find a transparent and peaceful mechanism for the transfer of power. As a result, we see at the end of every regime a severe confrontation among political parties, where common people are the worst victims. Past elections have been marked by continuous hartals, vandalism and attacks on the public.
Now the question arises: how can we solve the issue permanently? We think serious political reform is necessary for getting out of this situation. The following recommendations may be considered:
Practicing democratic norms in the party: To make the parties more democratic in their approach it appears that it would be good for the party to hold party council every two years. This will widen the scope for cultivating democratic norms inside the party. Additionally, such practices will help bring some balance in the party leadership. The existing practice of making the chief of the party a permanent position must be discontinued.
Party chief and head of state: What we see in our country is that party chief and head of state/prime minister remain the same person. It is contradictory for good governance. It is difficult for a party chief to work for the country independently, ignoring party interests as he/she has a party affiliation. This is making a mess in our democratic system.
Audit of funds of the political party: Sources of party funds and its utilisation must be properly audited. At present, due to lack of transparency in the utilisation of the party funds, the sale and purchase of leaders is thriving. If proper audit is started the influence of black money and muscle men of the party will be reduced to a great extent.
Cut-off point for public support: Given that the aims and objectives of our major political parties are almost identical, an increased number of political parties only contributes to confusion. It seems logical that at least 10% of the votes polled in the national elections may be the benchmark for a political party to exist.
Code of conduct for politicians: At present we see some politicians change their party loyalty too easily and too often. Their motive is only to grab power by any means. People’s welfare or public interest does not appeal to them at all. Thus it has become necessary to fix some code of conduct for the politicians.
Tenure of government: Five-year terms for the government appear too long of a period. Though it will be more expensive for the national exchequer, it is worth considering reducing the term to four years. Such a system is working well in the US.
Balance of power between president and prime minister: According to our present constitution, all executive powers of the state belong to the prime minister which sometimes turns them autocratic. This is totally against the spirit of democracy. A balance of power between the president and the prime minister is necessary for good governance.
Allow constitutional bodies to work independently: Constitutional bodies like the judiciary, Human Rights Commission, Anti Corruption Commission and Election Commission shall be strengthened by appointing competent personalities who can work independently without state intervention.
National advisory council: It may be a good idea to set up a non-party advisory council as we see in the UK (House of Lords). It may comprise of nationally acclaimed personalities who with sagacity, honesty and prudence will advise the government on policy issues.
Non-party caretaker government: The impartiality of the caretaker governments, which successfully managed to hold the last four general elections in a free and fair environment and earned national and international acclaim, has been the subject of criticism mainly for the trust deficit on the part of the losing parties. In view of the current stand-off, there is no scope to hold parliamentary elections peacefully without a non-partisan government and that is believed to be the opinion of the majority
A roundtable conference among our major political parties can be arranged for discussing the above points. If our leaders can come to a consensus and start to work together for the greater interest of the country, then we may hope for a happy ending.
The maxim goes, vox populi, vox suprima, meaning the people’s voice is the highest voice. We sincerely hope that both Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia will honour the people’s voice and work together for the development of our beloved country, moving beyond past mistakes.