Commentary
Pro-reform political leaders deserve praise for boldness
By
Tue, 26 Jun 2007, 13:56:00

The proposals for reform of political parties by their leaders themselves and limited debate on those being observed for some time are encouraging signs for a shift to a political culture of intra-party democracy, transparency and accountability.

BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan on Monday outlined a 15-point proposal which provides for changes in their party constitution with a view to ensuring, among other things, that none would hold the post of party chairman and that of prime minister for two terms each. He has said that the reform proposal in respect of tenure of party chairman would have retrospective effect.

Other suggestions like the post of head of the party and that of the head of government should not be simultaneously held by anybody are in agreement with proposals put forward by some frontline leaders like Amir Hossain Amu and Tofail Ahmed of the Awami League.

Clearly the pro-reform political leaders of both the parties have come into a sort of confrontation with the chiefs of their respective parties, Begum Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina. The reformers want the future chiefs of their parties to act in consultation with central leaders in policy and decision-making bodies.

They want an end to the practice of cashing in on nomination of candidates for parliamentary elections and reflection of the opinions of party leaders and workers through nomination of candidates for elections. In other words, they do not want party tickets to be sold to moneyed people having little allegiance to the ideals and policies pursued by the parties.

The pro-reform BNP leaders also want to identify people who are responsible for the latest debacle that led to the declaration of emergency, because of corruption and abuse of power and party positions, and take punitive measures at the party level. The rank and file of their party are not aware of the reasons that caused the debacle, they observed.

Similar development has taken place in the Jatiya Party (Ershad) from where pro-reform leaders led by Begum Raushan Ershad have put forward a set of reform measures.

The political leaders have demonstrated their boldness in proposing measures to bring to an end the concentration of all power in a few hands and the development of family and coterie interests that breed corruption. It is unfortunate that because of corruption by a section of political leaders and activists not only their parties but also wives and children are suffering now. But such a situation would not have happened had there been intra-party democracy and a system of checks and balance.


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