The New Nation - Internet Edition

Hasanuzzaman Khan

The fast changing course of events preceding the December parliamentary elections once again reminds that the political careers of Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia have been inextricably linked.

The Election Commission seems to be in a paradox over ensuring legitimacy of the upcoming parliamentary polls in December in the event of a boycott by any of the two political parties. Fixing a date for a much yearned poll seems to be the main obstacle for the Election Commission, whether it will be on December 18 or 28 now poses a big question.

Begum Khaleda Zia dropped a boycott plan of parliamentary polls if it was held on December 28. But Awami League sticks to its December 18 hustings. Election could not be shifted to ameliorate the inconveniences of a particular party. The BNP and the Awami League has accepted the post-one eleven realities. The Awami League wilfully has dropped the candidates convicted under emergency laws on corruption charges. Many politicians who dominate the street shows were quite absent from the nomination list of the populist democratic party. Moreover, younger ones got precedence over elders. Former Army officials and women candidates were given party ticket on 'proportional representation' basis for the coming polls. It is to be seen as a new phenomenon in the Bangladesh politics. The BNP, though it has not finalised its nomination list of the future MPs, is learnt to have toed the same line.

The BNP, of late, has accepted the notion that the convicts under emergency laws could not be accommodated in the list of future MPs.

Sheikh Hasina and Begum Kheldea Zia, making a departure from the past, exchanged pleasantries at the Armed Forces Day function at the Sena Kunja yesterday. They were barely on talking terms for the last 17 years. The firework in the rhetorics of the Awami League leaders was absent.

For much of the last two decades the two women-leaders of the Awami League and Bangladesh Nationalist Party respectively-have alternated between being prime minister and leader of the opposition.

When one was on a high, claiming a fair and clean election following a landslide victory, the other was on a down, complaining of poll rigging and electoral fraud.

Animosity between the pair over this issue and staunch disagreements between them over which of their menfolk was the first to declare independence from Pakistan in 1971 has meant that the political hatreds which prevailed in the past are still live in the arena.

The current caretaker government of the country has announced that general elections will be held as planned on 18 December.

It said, it had decided to keep to the date after failing to persuade political parties to shun their differences over the schedule.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has threatened to boycott the poll unless emergency rule, which has already been in force, is lifted.

Its main rival, the Awami League, without putting any condition has said it will take part in the suffrage.

The government also refused to repeal the state of emergency which was imposed in January 2007 after months of unrest.

BNP boycott would be a serious blow to the government's pledge that the elections will be the fairest in the country's history.

But except for the participation of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's party, people at home and abroad may doubt its legitimacy.

The BNP and its allies won a two-thirds majority in the last elections in 2001 and the party remains popular - but during the two-year rule of the current caretaker government it has been seriously weakened.

Many of its leaders, including Khaleda Zia and her two sons, were accused of corruption and were taken into custody. Khaleda Zia after 11 months was freed on bail, but about 50 other leaders of her party are still behind bars.

The Awami League was less affected by the anti-corruption drive, even though its leader Sheikh Hasina was also taken into custody for a short while.

It agreed to participate in the elections and has for some time been confident of winning and, of course, that confidence still exists, may be with a little bit lesser vehemence.

Khaleda Zia has announced that her Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) will take part in the next month's elections but has put a condition that the election date shall have to be shifted to 28 December from the scheduled 18 December.

The government has already agreed to that in principle but has ruled out an earlier plea of BNP to defer the election for one full month.

The government has time and again reiterated that the elections will be the fairest in the country's history and hence BNP and its four-party alliance's absence would put a question mark about the legitimacy of the election.

Her BNP and its allies won a two-thirds majority in the last elections in 2001, so their decision to take part removes the last major obstacle to the polls being free, fair and credible. But does the four-party alliance's participation in the election means Khaleda Zia is more likely to be elected prime minister for a fourth time.

The BNP remains popular but has become weak and divided during the past two years. Even setting credible new candidates to fill the places fallen void has become difficult for the party.

Critics say that Ms Zia has taken this hard line because at the moment Sheikh Hasina, of the Awami League, appears to be the most likely winner of the elections, which will bring an end to the unpopular two-year rule of the caretaker government.

The government will now be under intense pressure to comply with Khaleda's demands, at least in part. The situation before the government is complicated. But people hope that in a day or two some positive development shall take place for a happy ending of the elaborate ordeal.