Given that there are already concerns about the next general elections being held on AL’s watch, stirring the pot further by suggesting polls could also be held in March if need be is unnecessarily divisive and detracts considerably from the real issues.
According the constitution, elections have to be held within 90 days prior to the end of the current term, which means anytime between October 25 and January 24 next year. However, there is a provision that allows elections to be held within 90 days after parliament is dissolved, in the event that this happens under extraordinary circumstances and before parliament runs its natural course.
In other words, the AL could, if it wanted to, dissolve parliament a day or two before January 24, and get up to another 90 days to hold elections. While this may be in keeping with the letter of the law, it is quite a large departure from the spirit of it.
At a time when the most pressing question is whether the BNP and other opposition parties will accept elections held under an AL government at all or continue to press for a caretaker system, attempts at this sort of political chicanery not only demonstrates poor judgement but also perpetuate the antagonistic atmosphere that has brought us to this impasse in the first place.
The government should not consider going down a route that does nothing to allay doubts about its ability to be an honest broker, and that furthers the notion that it is incapable of paying attention to the word on the street.
