Editorial
No election to Zilla Parishad
The issue needs a rethink
The Zilla Parishads are now set to have government-appointed chairmen. Prime minister Sheikh Hasina, while informing the Jatiya Sangsad (JS) of the govern-ment's decision, has, however, assured the nation that the objective of this arrangement is to strengthen the lo-cal government system.
The prime minister's assurances aside, what still baf-fles comprehension is how can a non-elected body strengthen the local government system?
It is worthwhile to note that the article 59 of the Con-stitution has made it quite clear that "Local Government in every administrative unit of the Republic shall be en-trusted to bodies, composed of persons elected in accor-dance with law." Oddly though, as far as the tradition goes, no election was ever held to form Zilla Parishad bodies. The practice of appointing MPs as Zilla Parishad chairmen were introduced during the rule of Ershad in 1988 under, Zilla Parishad Act. However, in 2000 the then Awami League government by repealing that Act framed another law that required an elected body to constitute Zilla Parishad.
So, the question that naturally arises is what exigency has come about now that the/ government is shifting from its original stance in favour of this new arrange-ment? The 15-member Zilla parishad conceived of in this scheme will be but the same old system of selecting rather than electing a Zilla parishad body, but presented in a new package, though not clearly outlined.
We would like to point out that a non-elected local government body runs the risk of being tinkered by the bureaucracy or the party in power. We also know from previous experience, how these local government bodies became ineffectual as well as a tool to serve the purpose of the executives of the state. Though elected local gov-ernment bodies can also be tampered with as far as its autonomy goes, there is still room for accountability in an elected body.
If the government is earnest about strengthening the Zilla Parishad, as the prime minister has given out at the JS, it would do well to have a rethink of its present stance and thereby live up to the spirit of the constitution.
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