The New Nation - Internet Edition

The process of dialogue started by the Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed on the 22nd of the current month seems to have come to a deadlock with the major political parties announcing their decision not to take part in it without the release of their party chiefs.

An adviser of the caretaker government yesterday hinted at the possibility of meeting the demand for facilitating the participation of BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and AL president Sheikh Hasina in the dialogue. Some other advisers engaged in arranging the dialogue also issues vague assurances to the same effect.

Four advisers were entrusted with the responsibility of having pre-dialogue consultation with leaders of different political parties. What was viewed a simple exercise now looks tough and beyond a possibility.

Questions have been raised as to whether the government should have called the dialogue before announcing election schedule. Whether the dialogue process should better have been consigned to the EC. Or whether or not it was prudent enough to announce that the political parties and their leaders taking part in the dialogue with the government would have to agree to a 'Jatiya Sanad' a kind of contract outlining the dos and don'ts of political parties and their leaders to make democracy functional.

But as the political parties and their leaders do not see the elections coming soon the parties were more anxious to secure release of their leaders now being detained. The big parties took the government's invitation to dialogue as an opportunity to bargain the release of their party leaders from jail.

They cannot be blamed also. They could not go for the dialogue with the party chiefs Begum Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina in jail. They have also to consider the young turks some of whom are also armed.

Advisers of the caretaker government also made such assurances about the party chiefs which they can hardly fulfil. It was probably too much to give an impression about the opportunity to be offered to chiefs of big parties to take part in the dialogue without taking into cognisance the fact that they are facing corrutpion cases initiated by independent Anti-Corruption Commission.

Since Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed signalled for the start of dialogue in his address to the nation marking the first anniversary of the caretaker government on January 12, different political parties expressed their own demands and expectations. But political reforms, declared integral part of the roadmap to election and democracy by the Election Commission and the Caretaker Government, is yet to be addressed. It is a big question as to how far the political parties can be reformed through dialogue.

The people want the country to be back on the track of democracy with safeguards that there is rule of law, and none can view himself to be above the law. The caretaker government's main responsibility is to hold elections. Only the creation of urgency about the elections might lead to a sense of urgency among the parties to make talks with the government a success.

Dialogue for political reforms is the responsibility of the Election Commission. It is the responsibility of EC to make the elections meaningful for democratic good governance.

It was not to be expected that the political leaders, who practised politics of violence and corruption would give up gainful ways willingly or easily. One is not also sure if the chiefs of the two main political parties, namely Awami League and BNP, have any idea about democracy and democratic politics. So, desirable political changes will not come about now at once. This has to be a growing process.