Editorial
Politics of "No, No and Yes, Yes"
The public squeezed in between
Opposition leader Khaleda Zia's definite "No, No" to an election without a caretaker government has been countered last Saturday by a categorical "Yes, Yes" by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Caught in this "Yes-No" politics we the public are now totally perturbed at the prospect of the inevitable political showdown that is ominously looming over us. Can the country, whose economy is under severe strain due to global economic crisis, survive such a political crisis, which looks likely to spread over years? In answering this question factually and objectively, and NOT rhetorically, lies the future of our country.
We are in serious doubt as to whether the PM or her government or her party have undertaken any serious analysis of the impact of the decision to do away with the caretaker government(CTG). Was any public opinion survey conducted prior to the decision to throw it away? Has any been done following it? Other than some intelligence agency's assessment, whose methodology, sample size and authenticity we have no way of knowing, the likelihood of any such exercise being undertaken is indeed very slim.
Our own feedback from readers and the daily online opinion survey, admittedly not scientific, shows a clear and unambiguous opposition to the government's move.
While the PM has every right to assert her own views, the insistence that the opposition BNP will have to come to the election, has taken us by surprise. This coupled with her comment while in New York, that talking with the opposition will be of no use, and her constant reference to them in a trivialising manner convinces us that, however strong the public desire may be for a dialogue between our two leading parties, the likelihood of one taking place is almost non-existent.
Under such circumstances we are forced to conclude that the country is heading towards a serious political confrontation that is likely to damage both our prospect for economic growth and international image of a stable and functioning democracy. In fact sustained political confrontation may severely damage the economy and force us to miss, once again, our chance for nearing double digit growth.
It is up to Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia to avoid such an eventuality. History is watching, and so are the people.
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