Editorial
Making deals public
Shouldn't Khaleda be making this call from inside the House?
While talking to the visiting Indian foreign minister when he called on her recently, the Leader of the Opposition had said that all deals between the two countries should be mutually beneficial, and that people must be informed about the details of all the deals before agreements between the two countries are signed, through the parliament.
While one cannot take issue with the sentiments of the leader of the opposition, certainly all deals must be for the benefit of the countries concerned, and that the public must be made privy to the details of the deals, we find it rather surprising that she should find it appropriate to express her sentiments regarding a national issue to a visiting foreign dignitary.
One wonders whether Khaleda Zia shouldn't be in the parliament demanding that accords be placed before the House for deliberation and discussion instead of ventilating her thoughts outside it. Aren't she and her party abdicating a very important obligation reposed on them by the electorate?
It is entirely for the political parties to enter into compacts that benefit us, and at the same time ensure that the people are informed about those. Surely, public support for important vital bilateral accords not only helps their implementation, there is a general feeling of ownership if the public is informed about them.
That is the best way of not only informing the public about an intergovernmental accord, it is through the participation of the people's representatives in discussing its merits or demerits that one can come up with the optimally best deal.
Although it may not be formally required to place all inter-governmental accords (except for a treaty) before the parliament, certain accords, given their importance may be placed before the House for deliberation and public knowledge.
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