The New Nation - Internet Edition

WHETHER the upcoming national elections should be held under emergency or not, appears to have become the bone of contention between the government on the one side and the political parties and various pressure groups on the other. The government has its obvious stand for retaining the emergency to at least cover the election period. The same stems from the concern that once emergency is lifted, political forces could get drawn once again into unpredictable behaviour sensing the greater freedom to be able to do so.

This is just not an idle possibility but a very real one in view of the experiences in the political realm of Bangladesh in the recent past. The Chief Adviser has been reiterating that emergency rules would be relaxed to the maximum to facilitate political activities and only some emergency powers would be retained to tackle any untoward situation that might threaten the election. The position of the political parties and their supporters is that elections and emergency laws are incompatible. Observers and opinion givers on the Bangladesh political situation should realise that they must not equate conditions in their own countries with what is obtaining in Bangladesh.

Political leaders and parties in the European Union (EU) and the USA are far more responsible entities which can be trusted for responsible pre and post-electoral activities in the public interest. Can the same be said about the political players in Bangladesh? Yet all concerned should ponder whether there can be a way out to approach the election with a safety mechanism? Surety of the elections getting held in time and properly without being muddled by violence and free play of muscle and other evils must be ensured for transition to democracy. All stakeholders may see and accept the greater merit of this view.