Editorial
What good has come of President's dialogue?
The core issue left untouched
The President's three-week long dialogue with 24 political parties including the key players BNP and AL, may have earned him accolade for his diligence, tenacity and handling of a task that was basically thrust upon him. But in substance, it has had very little to commend itself for. On the contrary, the outcome merely repeated what the EC had proposed nearly nine months ago as we elaborate below. It's all the more frustrating when clearly an opening was provided through the initiative as this paper had repeatedly commented.
The President succeeded in drawing the opposition BNP into a talking mode from what had been a boycotting mindset. Repeated, rather half-hearted, invitations from the PM to the opposition leader to come out with her formula on caretaker issue failing, the presidential initiative did raise a hope for softening of their hard public positionings.
Thus, it was a rare opportunity for the AL and BNP to come to grips with the core issue of caretaker government favoured by all political parties except for Jatiya Party and AL. Keeping the principal political contention hanging, the President's formula on EC formation is neither novel nor is it inclusive and inspiring.
Well before the presidential talks on reconstitution of Election Commission, the EC had recommended formation of a search committee as provided for in the Constitution. Actually, since 2008 the talk of a search committee to reconstitute the EC on its expiry has been going on. Even the Prime Minister as early as in May spoke of constituting a search committee. The original recommendations of the Election Commission as per constitutional principles included the incumbent CEC as a member of the search committee. The idea was that he would bring to bear his experience on the work of the search committee. But the President's suggestion clearly keeps him out of the picture.
One can quite see that the President's constitutional mandate is limited as he has to act on the advice of the Prime Minister. If the Prime Minister has a serious intent to resolve bone of contention i.e. caretaker issue she should use the good offices of the President to this end. Because, given his constitutional position, the President is looked upon as a moral guardian of the state.
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