Editorial
Dialogue is imperative
Neither party should put any condition
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Moudud Ahmed has claimed that US foreign secretary Hillary Clinton and Indian finance minister had echoed his party's stand by advocating caretaker government for holding the next general election.
He reportedly insisted on the government's amending the Constitution before the talks could be held. We are lost on why he is putting a condition for talks when the dialogue would have to be all about a neutral non-partisan government for holding the next general election.
There is a general feeling among all right thinking people that to conduct a credible election for the 10th parliament, a non-party interim government is the option to take.
The opposition should not make the dialogue conditional. This is also true of the government. That is because both the BNP and the AL have serious stakes in the getting over the present impasse.
The prime minister has been counselling the opposition to join parliament and table its formula for a neutral, non-partisan government.
True, it is parliament through which an interim arrangement has to be worked out now that the original provision of the caretaker government has been struck off the statute book. Given the stiff public posturing of both the parties on the subject, however the talks could be initiated both at the informal and the formal levels to break the ice and arrive at a common ground to move ahead.
We believe no party should set a pre-condition to start the dialogue. For that is the mechanism to put all contentious issues on the table and thrash out a solution to the satisfaction of all the parties.
While we urge the opposition to join parliament as part of their constitutional obligation, the onus is on the ruling party to give the opposition the space they need to be engaged it in a meaningful dialogue.
In the meanwhile, both sides should refrain from confrontational posturing, either in words or in deeds.
The nation looks forward to creating a conducive environment for the talks to begin in earnest.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments