Editorial
Election under caretaker govt
Having raised it in the rally, do so now in parliament
Much of what Khaleda Zia said in day before yesterday's grand rally was expected. Given our political culture of mutual vilification, and name calling, her speech was a repetition of that practice. Predictably, and one with which we have sympathy, she demanded restoration of caretaker system for holding the next election and threatened non-participation if polls are held under party government.
Controversy about it had only crept in when a military-backed caretaker government extended the constitutionally stipulated three-month tenure of the interim government, taking it to two years and that too, under emergency rule. We have made it abundantly clear that we needn't have to throw the baby with the bath water. All we have to do is to bring an air-tight amendment to the constitution protecting the three-month tenure provision. If necessary, fine-tuning of the choice list and power balance between the president and the chief advisor to interim government could also be done.
It is worthwhile to note that the Supreme Court in its judgement allowed for continuation of caretaker system for next two terms.
From the Naya Paltan podium, for all the vitriol and bellicosity issuing, the strikingly redeeming feature was the absence of hartal call for the moment.
The opposition has announced three road marches from three of the six divisional headquarters spread over October. The government should allow these to happen unhindered as long as they are peaceful, which is a democratic right that cannot be impinged on. The opposition would do well to keep the public informed about the routes and the timings so that essential public movements can be re-routed and citizens' hardship minimised.
In her speech she made a mockery of the issue of religious extremism and consequent terrorism. We take severe exception to her stance. BNP and its leader must accept the fact the terrorism and extremism must be dealt with most severely, which was not done during its last stint in power. In fact, it was given indirect encouragement by denying its existence.
The BNP chief, by terming the war crimes trial as partisan, appears to have lent her support to those currently being tried. We find this stance disturbing and consider it as a trivialization of a fundamental demand of the people. Finding flaws with the process is one thing. But questioning the trial as a whole is something else
Finally, we would say to the opposition, now that you have raised the demand for having national elections under caretaker system on the street, you are obliged to raise it in the parliament to have your demand effectively met. However strong the opposition feelings may be, without taking recourse to parliament, the law to restore the caretaker system, which is the opposition's demand, cannot be fulfilled. So, go back to parliament and raise this demand there.
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