Making a case for new, democratic politics
Al Masud Hasanuzzaman finds a book on elections compelling
In democracy, the institution of election is held in high esteem. Democracy theorists consider this institution greatly essential not only for political legitimacy of the rulers and stability of the political order but also for integration of societal arrangement, system capability, participatory behavior and above all political institutionalization. It is through the means of election that the politicians bolster their assurance to deal with the crises involved in the process of nation and state building. The essence of this commitment is general agreement on the rule of the game of politics that in turn establishes trust in the election process and peaceful transfer of state power. In Bangladesh, attainment of such a situation has not been possible owing to a stage-managed election process in the post-liberation period and alienation of the people from this very institution. In this context, the demand for a neutral caretaker government was raised and the same was formalised through the Thirteenth Amendment to the constitution in 1996. The system of caretaker government in Bangladesh has been unique in existing constitutional states. Even so, it was the outcome of intense distrust between the party then in power and opposing political forces. This was in fact a cautious means to facilitate unhindered transfer of state power and acted as the last resort toward making democracy functional. Such a procedure certainly necessitated simultaneous comprehensive reforms in both the formal and informal sectors of the political system. Despite such electoral pledges of the competing political parties, lack of their translation gradually aggravated the country's on-going political crises that ultimately led to the events of January 11, 2007 taking place. The caretaker government of Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed as such began its two-year long mission of instituting multifarious reforms in the process of holding the ninth parliamentary election scheduled to be held in December 2008. A.T. Rafiqur Rahman, a serious analyst of Bangladesh 's politics and development has discussed in detail the context of the formation of caretaker government under emergency, on-going debate regarding its legal status, perception and role-playing during its self-imposed tenure. The central theme of this volume is a review of the multi-sectoral reforms initiated by the interim administration since its origination on January 11, 2007. More distinctively, the author explicates the supplementary reform measures that he considers significant in order to sustain the on-going experimentation. The responsibility of the next popular government will be to keep up the momentum through constitutional ratification for the sake of good governance and sound democratic order. The book is divided into five broad chapters along with a postscript to update views. With regard to the on-going reforms, the discussion is centred on the major areas of electoral process, judicial separation, corruption eradication and formation of constitutional commissions for democratic governance. It is stated that despite a dismal effect in the business sector, measures like voter registration, issuance of nationality certificate, initiatives for democratisation of party structures, and more specifically the anti-corruption drives have been well accepted by the masses at large. Certain steps that negatively affected the reputation of the government were the policies regarding the 'minus two' formula, clearing hawkers and slums, and dealing with the turbulence on the university campuses. Also alarming has been the depressing performance of the country's economic sector, including lack of investment, lesser exports, greater pace of imports, fertiliser crisis and most notably the price hike of essentials. The author thus says that 'there is evidence that macro economic indicators are deteriorating, indicating symptoms of a slowing economy' (page 35). It is indeed very challenging to keep the cadence of the gains and as such unremitting support of the public and endorsement of the political parties and civil society remain very crucial in sustaining the governance reforms taken up by the government. The key thrust of the book is the author's prescription for further reforms without which the current governance measures will remain incomplete. For constructing the foundation of a durable democracy, a host of additional reforms are recommended, involving the means for holding credible elections, structure of the caretaker government, agreed rules for a functional legislature, establishment of local democracy, improvement of the quality of education, evocative deregulation of the executive departments, breaking the culture of agitational politics and unrest, and manufacturing economic efficiency. Another significant need is the establishment of a congenial political culture characterised by democratic values and human rights. Considering the gravity of the forthcoming ninth parliamentary polls, it would be strategic for the popularly elected leadership, policy makers and other stakeholders to stress institutional reforms based on general agreement and accomplish the tasks ahead. The publication of the volume is indeed timely and it gives thought provoking ideas and 'informed Bangladeshis', as the author says, will obtain new insights on democratisation and proper governance. The author has been able to provide an analytical assessment of the scenario and has presented his arguments in a very scholarly manner. The book is required reading for researchers and everyone else.
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