The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, New York

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed yesterday assured the global leaders that his caretaker government is now totally focused on fulfilling the pledge to hold free and fair

parliamentary polls on December 18.

He expressed the confidence that all political parties would participate in the elections under new laws and regulations.

"Let me reiterate here that my government is completely and totally focused on fulfilling our pledge to hold free and fair parliamentary elections on December 18 as announced last week," Dr Ahmed said in a statement at the 63rd session of the UN General Assembly.

Chief Adviser's wife Mrs Neena Ahmed, Foreign Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, Women and Children Affairs Adviser Rasheda K Chowdhury, Bangladesh's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ismat Zahan and CA's Press Secretary Syed Fahim Munaim were present, as Dr Ahmed delivered his speech at 10:25am (local time, 8:25pm BST).

The Chief Adviser, speaking for the second time at the world body after assuming office on January 12 last year, said an election is only the first pillar of democratic governance and during the past 20 months, his government relentlessly worked to shore up democracy's other pillars as well.

In his about 20 minutes' speech, he said the judiciary was made fully independent, National Human Rights Commission established to protect fundamental rights of all citizens and Right to Information Law enacted to provide the transparency to a well-functioning democracy.

Besides, he said, the government in consultation with political parties amended and strengthened People Representation Order under which forthcoming elections will be held. This law and regulations, under which it will require registration of political parties for elections, ensure intra-party democracy and implement campaign finance reforms to limit the influence of corrupt money in the political system.

On his government's anti-graft drive, Dr Ahmed said holding of a truly democratic and meaningful election was not an easy task, as decades of corruption had seriously undermined the country's democracy and economy.

"Corruption's ill effects corroded our vital public institutions, and the cost was ultimately borne by the ordinary citizens of Bangladesh, who could ill-afford it."

He said legal actions were initiated against corrupt individuals, but "we never compromised with due process and judicial independence."

Dr Ahmed said the fight against corruption has been the first step in a long and difficult process, and hoped that the work will continue under the independent Anti-Corruption Commission.

The Chief Adviser, who also spoke on behalf of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), stressed the importance of food security, democracy and development which are inextricably linked to one another, and are of fundamental importance to the welfare of the Bangladeshis as well as of other LDCs.

He said extraordinary rise in food prices this year has undermined the food security of many LDCs. Calling for long-term solutions for a hunger-free world, he said food security for all citizens in this world must be acknowledged not just as a development imperative, but also as a moral imperative.

The Chief Adviser said the recent global rise in food prices has been acutely felt in Bangladesh, even though imports account for a small percentage of the cereal consumption.

He said domestic rice prices spiked by nearly 60% during the year through February 2008. This precipitated against the backdrop of two devastating floods and a tropical cyclone that largely destroyed one of the country's key harvests.

Dr Ahmed said that for a country like Bangladesh, where roughly 40% of the population lives below the poverty line and where poor households spend as much as 70% of their income on food items, such a steep increase in food prices has had significant adverse effects on food security, poverty and human development.

He said food insecurity can disrupt the core of a democratic polity and derail its development priorities. Making food available for all, and at affordable prices, remains a cardinal responsibility of all governments.