Editorial
Caretaker government reform
Three month tenure non-negotiable
The controversy over the Awami League-proposed reform of the caretaker government centres not on three month duration of the CG's mandate but on the ruling party's suggestion that the failure to hold elections within three months would render a revival of the immediate past elected government.
Let's put the whole issue in perspective to arrive at a judicious conclusion.
BNP-led four party alliance raised the retirement age of judges only to have the incumbent chief justice head the caretaker government. Naturally, the opposition Awami League then had reasons to resent it. In these circumstances, President Iazuddin Ahmed ignored the other options to choose a chief adviser and himself appeared in the dual role of the president as well as the chief adviser.
The situation was further compounded by a flawed electoral roll with more than one crore non-existent voters in it, so that there was legitimate demand for an authentic electoral roll. Meanwhile, President Iazuddin declared emergency and ushered in a military-backed caretaker government. This interim government had before it the task of making a computerised authentic voter list with photographs.
Since all these circumstances are neither present nor likely to emerge in the future, the overriding provision of three month tenure of the CG can be put firmly and squarely in place. We already have an authentic voter list, all that it requires is updating before the next general election, which also happens to be a continuing process.
Hence, the AL's suggestion that the outgoing elected government would take over if the CG cannot hold elections within ninety days, does not stand to reason. It is basically contradictory to AL's original position on the caretaker government. Its demand for a non-partisan CG was based on complete no-confidence in an elected party government to hold general elections. How can it now reverse its stand?
So we take the view that 90-day tenure for CG should be non-negotiable. In these stipulated three months the CG should not only hold elections but also effect transfer of power to an elected government. All these should be stipulated in legally tight formulation.
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