Re-calibrating democracy in Bangladesh

Muhammad Zamir
Dhaka Courier, 26 October

The word democracy seems to mean different things to different people. For some it probably connotes the right to exercise one's choice with freedom, albeit responsibly. For others, it appears to suggest the freedom to use acquired power without any restraint or accountability or without the need to function within the due process of law. This difference in interpretation has become for all of us the central point in the re-organization of politics and political behaviour that is normally associated with the dynamics of democracy. We stand today at an important crossroad in our national existence. We are faced with challenges that have to be met and overcome. I am tempted here to refer and compare our current situation with that of Charles Dickens' observation in his incomparable 'Talc of Two Cities'- " It was the best of times. It was the worst of times". He was referring to Paris during the French Revolution. I am referring to Dhaka as it is today.

I have refrained from writing on the evolving and emerging democratic process within our country. I have done so consciously. I have been an interested spectator and watched tile unraveling of political partnerships and political parties. The intensity of the storm that started since the beginning of the year has gradually gained over the last few months. However. there are now hints that a transition and resolution of sorts is on the way.

Some among us have expressed anxiety and concern about the nature of the current process of governance within the country. Others have indicated satisfaction with the current situation. One political analyst from within the preceding category informed me the other day that Bangladesh had lost its democratic status in the eyes of the international community. He suggested that I should write about it. His concern emanated from the fact that we had not been invited to participate (for the first time since 2000, possibly because of our current indeterminate and unusual political status) in the Ministerial Meeting of the 'Community of Democracies' (a global group of 126 active participants and 20 observers) being held in Bamako. Mali in November this year. I have told my analyst friend that he should not read too much into this exclusion. I firmly believe that we will be there in other meetings of this important Group in the future. We will be there after we have completed the many sensitive and delicate tasks, associated with the restoration of a meaningful and functional democracy where the elected representatives will be accountable to the people for their actions.

We still have many miles to go before we can really claim to be a responsible democracy. There are many unresolved issues that need to be addressed. In the meantime we should try to be positive and constructive. We, in our own way, should also assist the current Administration to arrive at just decisions (pertaining to contentious criminal cases filed against important political and business personalities) according to due process of law.

We have a Chief Adviser who has recently dismissed the notion that the country is presently under a dual rule format. It has also been made clear that, despite the continuing status of emergency, he does not perceive any political role for the Armed Forces. The senior leadership of our Armed Forces has also clearly indicated that they are not interested in the taking over of power.

Nevertheless, it is also true that the Armed Forces have been playing an important role in matters of governance- the curbing of corruption, improvement of law and order, marketing of food items and the distribution of flood relief. From that point of view it has been an interesting partnership.

It has been suggested by some that the current Government or some of its Agencies have taken undue interest in the reformation of politics, in the changing of the leaderships of certain political parties within the country and in intimidating certain sections of the media. The Chief Adviser has denied this. We shall accept his view with the hope that the future will not prove his reassurance wrong.

However, it also needs to be noted that chaos prevails today within the two major parties. I personally believe that splintering of the Awami League and the BNP can only lead to the strengthening of the less affected and currently more organised extreme right wing parties who have within themselves extremist and fundamentalist elements. One hopes that the wrong genic is not let out of the proverbial bottle.
In the meantime, we have today, an interesting scenario within our political arena.

The ban on indoor politics has been lifted at least in and around Dhaka. There are still many restrictions that I wish were not present. I personally believe that there should be withdrawal of all restrictions in indoor politicking throughout the country, at least up to the Divisional Headquarters level. This would have been better. This might have facilitated greater exchange of views (at the Council and Executive Committee levels of political parties) on proposed reforms within the electoral process. This would have strengthened the hands of the Election Commission during their ongoing discussions with representatives of different political parties who could have presented their proposals on the basis of broad consensus.

It needs to be remembered that significant issues will have to be resolved by the Election Commission if the forthcoming election is to be considered as credible and fair. Media reports have indicated that the Election Commission is going to propose new provisions and amendments to the Representation of the People Order, 1972. They have a tough year ahead. In addition to the preparing of a corrected electoral roll and the relevant identity cards, they will also have to finalize the basic structure under which the future election will be held. They will also have to decide on sensitive issues like political parties being permitted to continue to have labour and student fronts and the total amount that can be spent by a candidate for his election. This is as difficult as it gets.

The Election Commission has apparently prepared a draft of the amended version of the Representation of People Order, 1972. This will be in the format of the Representation of People Ordinance, 2007. Once promulgated by the President it will acquire the status of law and will be binding in related areas. It has been reported in both the print and the electronic media that the Election Commission will finalize this proposed draft after their ongoing dialogue with the different political parties is competed by the end of November this year.

One can only hope that the Election Commission will be able to ensure that suitable rules are in place that will stop black money and muscle power from determining electoral results. This will necessitate each candidate filing with the Election Commission a detailed report about the current wealth status of the candidate and the immediate members of the candidate's family. There should also be a brief resume about the nature of his socio-economic activities within his prospective constituency and also whether he has ever been prosecuted and sentenced for any form of criminal activity. That should also include whether he is a defaulter of any loan. These details should subsequently be made available in a web page on the computer so that any voter from his constituency can access that page for information. If it is subsequently found that the candidate has filed wrong information or concealed information then his election from the constituency will have to be cancelled. At the end of the day we must have a matrix that will stop fly-by-night businessmen steamrolling their way into the political arena, getting nomination from political parties (on the basis of extortion/donation) and becoming Members of the Jatiyo Sangshad. Politics must not be seen as the pathway to wealth through participatory corruption. It must not also accord to a MP a status where he considers himself being above the due process of law and accountability. Some of the political parties who have very little presence throughout the country will probably term some of the EC's requirements as harsh or even undemocratic but that should not stop the EC from bringing back some order into the system.

The other day for example, one political party suggested to the Election Commission that 'willing candidates from a non-registered party should be allowed to participate in the elections through a registered party. This is absurd. If someone is so keen to participate. that person can always do so as an independent candidate.

The Election Commission and the political parties should also focus in their ongoing discussions on the following factors: (a) the question of having a faced regulatory mechanism pertaining to the receiving of donations by political parties, generating of other forms of revenue by such parties and their eventual expenditure (which has to be made more transparent and should include annual auditing) and (b) the publication of clear manifestos by each political party at least three months before the election date (with regard to their perspective policies on future agricultural initiatives, energy, vocational training and employment opportunities, healthcare, safeguarding of human rights, higher education, dissemination of information technology. improvements to be undertaken in the transport and communications sector, the facilities to be accorded to our hardworking expatriate community and the diversification of our manufacturing capacity and the export base). These manifestos should be devoid of platitudes and focus on real answers to real issues, as they exist both at the District levels and the National level.

We need to move one step ahead in the global race and restore confidence in us within the international community. This will help us again to emerge as a country others can bank on and invest in. Only then will democracy find a meaningful expression.

Muhammad Zamir is a former ambassador and secretary to the government of Bangladesh