The Awami League manifesto for the January 5 polls has reiterated its 2008 promise of making effective the legislature that remained ineffective mainly for prolonged absence of main opposition BNP and Jamaat and the use of objectionable comments by several ruling party MPs.
The latest manifesto which Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina unveiled yesterday says: “The constitution will be protected, and democracy and democratic institutions will be made stronger. Measures will be in place for making parliament effective.”
The 2013 pledge has no reference to the opposition parties which has very crucial role in making the government accountable.
In 2008, the party pledged amending the constitution to create two posts of the deputy speakers with one going to the opposition. But the promise never came true as the ruling Awami League said the opposition had not cooperated with the treasury bench for electing the deputy speakers.
Critics say the Awami League was not interested in bringing the boycotting opposition back to parliament.
The treasury bench on the second day of the current ninth parliament reduced the number of seats in the front row in the opposition desk to three from 10. The Awami League argued that the BNP, which had 30 seats in the 300-seat Chamber, should get frontline seats according to their party strength as followed by the BNP government in 2001-06.
On the other hand, the BNP said the frontline seats on the left hand side of the speaker were for the opposition. They also threatened to boycott the House unless their seats were increased.
Former speaker Abdul Hamid then increased one seat for them, but it was not enough.
Many Awami League leaders think that the latest manifesto should not bother about the opposition as most of the political parties boycotted the polls in which 154 candidates were elected unopposed.
