Manmohan wins confidence vote
WE can take satisfaction from the successful exercise of the democratic provision for trust vote that has just concluded in neighbouring India, with the Manmohan Singh government surviving a no-confidence motion with a wider than expected margin Tuesday on the issue of India's civilian nuclear energy deal with the US.
Felicitations are due to the Indian prime minister, who had essentially staked his entire premiership on this deal and was vindicated by the 275- 256 victory with ten abstentions. The Congress-led UPA alliance will now be on firmer footing in the Lok Sabha for the balance of its tenure and the victory should give it a shot in the arm for the upcoming parliamentary elections, scheduled to be held within the next year.
This was democracy as it should be practiced. It is good that such a controversial subject should be brought to the floor of the house for debate and not rammed through by the government. The vote was preceded by a robust debate and thorough discussion, and no one can now make the argument that the Indian government has pushed the deal through in the teeth of public opinion.
We shall comment separately on the merits of the deal as we see them, both for India and for the region, specifically for what it means for us in Bangladesh. Suffice it to say that the deal will dramatically alter the strategic landscape and balance of power in the region, and this is something that will need to be looked at very closely by Bangladeshi policy-makers.
The implications for countries like Bangladesh are considerable, and this deal now going through should precipitate sober and serious reflection as to what the impact on bilateral and regional relations will be.
There have been allegations made by the opposition of vote buying and horse trading and these will have to be looked into thoroughly, as the speaker of the Lok Shabha has already ordered, although we have yet to see any evidence that we find persuasive presented thus far.
For the present, let us congratulate the Indian prime minister on the successful stewardship of his bold policies, and India itself can take gratification in how the entire furore was handled and ultimately disposed of in parliament, as such things should be done in a democracy.
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