The New Nation - Internet Edition

Abdur Rahim

Renowned leftist leader and Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon looked dejected when he, in a TV interview on Sunday evening, expressed his utter resentment when his party's Presidium member Fazle Hossain Badsha -14-party alliance's nominee for Rajshahi City mayoral election - was unceremoniously replaced by the Awami League rebel candidate Khairuzzaman Liton. Revealing this unexpected decision Awami League Presidium member Tofail Ahmed earlier said that Badsha withdrew his candidature "for the sake of greater unity of the pro-Liberation and anti-communal forces". Menon, on the other hand in an unequivocal term said that his party workers wouldn't participate in the campaign for the Awami League candidate in Rajshahi, adding that his party would also reconsider their role in the three other mayoral election campaign. This gives an ominous signal as regards the fate of the much publicised 14-party alliance which has already reduced numerically to 13-party combine because of desertion of Kamal Hossain's Gono Forum. Kamal Hossain publicly blames Awami League for giving shelter to people having criminal records.

The other parties of the existing "14-party" alliance have much lesser political clout and most of those parties don't have enough mentionable persons for contesting in the local government not to speak of general election. Under this circumstance, Fazle Hossain Badsha has made his mark in the national politics and had fought in the last mayoral election in Rajshahi. Although he had lost in the election, he alleged that his victory was hijacked by the BNP nominee Mino (now in jail on corruption charges). As such Badsha as well as most voters of the city took Badsha for granted as the next nominee of the AL-led 14-party alliance. The reversal of the decision by the Awami League unilaterally will seriously affect the loose unity of the like-minded political parties providing an opportunity to the third force to reap a good harvest in the election process. More than one AL candidates are vying for one post in each of the three other city corporations.

Announcing his firm decision to contest in the Sylhet mayoral election, local Awami League leader Babrul Hossain Babul crticised the central Awami League leadership for nominating Badruddin Kamran, now in jail on corruption chrages, as the nominee for the post. Babul in a press conference on Sunday at Sylhet cited a number of corruption cases against Kamrun and his "accomplices". He also mentioned the failures of Kamrun in the discharge of his responsibilities in providing facilities to the tax-payers.

The upcoming local government election gave the Awami League an opportunity to revive the spirit among the like-minded political parties who had gathered under their umbrella on the eve of the scheduled 22 January,2007 election that triggered off clashes between the rival political parties leaving a number of people killed in Dhaka city in the glare of TV camera. It had happened immediately after the Four-Party Alliance left the government after completing their five-year term and providing place for the caretaker government that was supposed to hold the next general election within three months.

Awami League's refusal to accept former Chief Justice K.M. Hasan as the head of the Caretaker Government and failure to find a consensus replacement for the post President Prof. Iazuddin Ahmed, as per constitutional provision took over the post of the Chief of Caretaker government and appointed 10 Advisors. In the face of serious objection of AL-led alliance of President's holding the post of CA (Chief Administrator), emergency was declared on 11 January, 2007 and new Caretaker Government was set up with Dr. Faqruddin Ahmed as Chief Administrator. From the very outset the new caretaker government waged a big drive against corruption and in the process the two former Prime Ministers, number of former Ministers, businessmen and bureaucrats were arrested ' some of them have been already convicted.

As a single big party Awami League has already extracted some of their demands fulfilled from the government including the release of the party chief Sheikh Hasina on parole for the purpose of her medical treatment abroad. The Awami League General Secretary who was also in prison, is in parole undergoing treatment in Singapore. On humane ground his parole period has been extended twice already. Meanwhile, Kader Siddiqi, president of the Krishak Sramik Janata League while participating in the dialogue with the Chief of Caretaker Government has taken exception to the government's deal with Awami League. He sought the justification of four Advisors visiting Hasina who is an accused person in a number of cases.

The political situation is still if not volatile, is yet to be stable. Despite government's efforts, the major political parties BNP and Jamaat are keeping away from the local government election. Credibility of an election depends on the maximum participation of the major parties. Formal dialogue of these two parties with the government is yet to be held. Demand for release of Kaleda Zia and Motiur Rahman Nizami and sending abroad Tareq and Koko for tratment are the preconditions set by BNP and Jamaat for a meaningful dialogue with a view to thier participation in any future elections in the country.

Meanwhile, the government has approved in principle the Representation of the People's Order (PRO) Ordinance, 2008 making provision, among others, mandatory registration of political parties and an option for casting 'No" vote. The PRO would be promulgated by a gazette notification after assent of the President. The Ordinance aims at holding a credible election from from black money and muscle power.

(Writer - Former Executive Editor, The Bangladesh Observer)