Editorial
PM on caretaker government
Let the system be reformed
The prime minister's 'no' to the caretaker system of government opens up a new debate on the future of politics in Bangladesh. To be sure, Sheikh Hasina has based her opinion on the recent judgement by the higher judiciary to the effect that the caretaker system lacks legality. We recall too that the judiciary has also suggested that the next two elections may be conducted under such a system. Obviously, the prime minister felt it necessary to emphasise the clear verdict of the court rather than its observation on elections in the immediate future.
When the judicial pronouncement on the caretaker system was made early last month, we at this newspaper noted that the efficacy of the system had been proved by the fact that the country has had four good, credible elections under it. The nearly two-year tenure of the last caretaker administration was certainly a breaking with the norm, but that it delivered a good election has never been in doubt. It is for these reasons that the caretaker system, in a reformed form may be considered to allow time for mutual trust to develop between the political parties to settle for the standard interim arrangement in elective democracies. But of course this will require further strengthening of the EC as an independent body. Besides, one cannot quite ignore the fact that the opposition BNP has been rejecting any idea to do away with the caretaker system and has made it clear it will not take part in elections under what it calls a partisan government. We thus have a confrontational situation here, one that could create a whole new crisis unless both the ruling party and the opposition engage in a dialogue to resolve the issue before the next general election in less than two years' time.
The idea of a reformed caretaker system comes in light of the reservations voiced recently on whether judiciary should be part of the process any more. Our experience of the past few years shows that the immediate past chief justice poised to head a caretaker administration becomes an object of political controversy one way or the other. Which is why the option of eminent citizens heading such a government as well as being part of it should now be seriously emphasised. Additionally, a balance needs to be struck in the power relationship between the president and the chief adviser to caretaker government.
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