An election countdown fraught with imponderables
WITH the countdown to the election for our ninth parliament having almost begun, an inauspicious wave of restlessness is sweeping across the country. The iconoclasts and obscurantist, intoxicated with the heady brew of politics tinged with religion ensuring the best of both worlds, are on the warpath in "purging" the country of its ancient cultural symbols and have assailed the nation's value-system.
They have chosen this crucial time, barely a month before the national election that is precariously mired in uncertainty. The geckos of the disruption have come out of the hibernation that they were forced into with the advent of emergency, and are menacingly raising their ugly heads. The religious right, under the banner of myriad religious outfits, usually does not do well in an electoral process, and thus prefers unconstitutional and violent means to establish its writ, if it can at all. Things like democracy and election are anathema to them.
As a prelude to their strategy of disruption, they unleashed religious hysteria and went berserk on the streets to voice their demand, which was terrifying enough to cause public alarm. It was enough to destabilise the country, and push an important democratic event like the upcoming election into new uncertainty. Yet, the measures taken by the authority to stop them were perfunctory at best.
Rather, it is alleged that the hoodlums pursued their agenda with impunity and with the authority's acquiescence. That the zealots spat fire and brimstone near the national mosque in the presence of law enforcing agencies, and scuffled with their members, is one of the pointers. The attitude of appeasement on the part of the government is a convoluted mystery.
In the meantime, the much-touted roadmap for the election is in tatters, notwithstanding some important official achievement in this regard. Lately, the EC has not been able to keep pace with its projected steps and schedule, generating apprehension in the public mind as to the fate of the election as well as what these failures are due to.
Nevertheless, to be fair to the authority, it isn't all a blank on the part of the government, which took also some positive and timely action related to the election by recently restoring SSF protection for both the top political leaders.
The AL had voiced concern about the security of Sheikh Hasina, who has traversed the political terrain and its several crossroads to the cross-hairs of terror. She fortuitously survived the lethal August 21 grenade attack, which was planned and executed with surgical precision. It is, therefore, thoughtful on the part of the government to take note of AL's security concern for Hasinaensuring similar security arrangement for Madam Zia also.
So far, so good. But then, there are contradictions galore in the government's stand, which seems to be shifting from time to time, and its hiatus with that of the politicians is increasing. Now, the moot question is whether Sheikh Hasina and Madam Zia can participate in the poll, which, according to the latest statements by both the AL and BNP, will be rejected if the supreme leaders are not allowed to take part in it.
Although the EC holds that there is nothing, so far, that can stop them from participating in the election there is a snag at least in the case of Hasina as her bail in Noor Ali's extortion indictment was rejected by the Supreme Court in a split verdict. This development is not in conformity with the undeclared understanding reached earlier between the politicians and the government, as well as the latter's earlier pronouncements.
The government is clearly pursuing a policy of blowing hot and cold and, thus, creating a crisis of confidence. The education adviser's response to a query about the paradox only thickened the confusion. In his racy style of playing with words, he only moved round and round the mulberry bush.
With several electoral steps still unresolved, like the declaration of election schedulewhich is interlocked with a court verdictthe people are wondering if there is enough time to hold a credible election on December 18. But much more than that, the fresh uncertainty with the election itself is haunting the public afresh. With the new glitches clouding the electoral prospects, the government's ambivalence with regard to the top political leaders unmistakably pours cold water also on people's enthusiasm for election, which is supposed to be a national festival.
Both the AL and BNP have put their foot down on the issue of their leaders' participation, as well as the lifting of emergency, and are in no position to retreat without losing face. In the emerging crisis of confidence, the government is again at the giving end. Yet, the optimism nourished by many that there could be election as per schedule is alive.
The nation is keeping its fingers crossed, and is waiting to see how the government responds to the people's aspirations, which is in favour of at least Sheikh Hasina and Madam Zia's participation in the election; about which an understanding was perhaps reached between the government interlocutors and the politicians. The government spokesman cannot afford to be dismissive about the questions relating to our future.
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