Be graceful losers to begin new culture

Whoever loses the upcoming national election must accept the results to usher in a culture of tolerance and cooperation, said political analysts, economists and civil society members yesterday.
The party that will form the next elected government will also be responsible for rendering the parliament effective, they said at a discussion on 'election and future Bangladesh' organised by the daily Prothom Alo in its office in the capital.
The next government should continue the drive against corruption and strengthen democratic institutions to maintain good governance, and to de-politicise the civil administration, they added.
Stating that 'politics of blame' severely harms the society, the speakers suggested that the government and the opposition in parliament must come to a consensus on basic national issues and form a high-level committee to face the impacts of the global economic recession.
"The government should create an environment for the opposition to remain in the parliament. I want integrity of the national institutions, curbing of corruption and accountability of the government," said Anti-corruption Commission (ACC) Chairman Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury.
He said the opposition has to accept the poll results, refrain themselves from destructive activities, pledge that they will not go into hartals, and make significant contribution to the issues of national importance.
"The winners take all mentality should be avoided…politicians should remain in the parliament, not on the streets. They should be tolerant," said Syed Manzur Elahi, former adviser to a caretaker government.
Bangladesh's economy might face a serious blow in February-March next year because of a possible drop in profit margins from export commodities and in their prices, he said adding, "If politics remain unstable, the country's economy will get a double blow."
Dr Ali Riaz, professor and chair of the department of politics and government at Illinois State University in the US, said Bangladesh has a bright future provided the political parties are honest, prudent and have the attitude to learn from the past.
"It is necessary to look at what happened to the politics in Bangladesh since '91. The political parties should clearly admit to their faults and talk about what lessons they learned. If they fail to do so, the potential will not be materialised," he said.
Prof Riaz said the political parties pledged what they will do if they go to power, but did not pledge what they will do if they are in the opposition. "They should declare how they will treat the opposition if they are in the ruling seat," he added.
Emphasising on the need for an effective parliament, legal expert Dr M Zahir said arrangements should be there that members of parliament (MPs) will lose their jobs if they remain absent from the parliament for 90 consecutive days.
He said the article 70 of the constitution should be amended to ensure that all members of the parliament may speak freely. "Otherwise, the parliament becomes a dictatorship of the majority," he asserted.
Former adviser to a caretaker government Sultana Kamal said, "As a shadow government, the opposition must play its role to ensure checks and balances in the government."
She said the next government should continue some good initiatives of the present caretaker government including the drive against corruption, activate the Human Rights Commission, implement the Right to Information Act, and try the war criminals.
Emphasising on improving the lives of the common people, economist Dr Atiur Rahman said corruption eats up a major share of the resources the poor are entitled to, therefore curbing corruption and reforming the administration is very important.
He suggested forming a high-level committee to address the impacts of the global financial crisis, saying that export income and remittance are likely to be affected by the global economic crisis, and that calls for an immediate action.
The political parties should not talk much of the past and should not destroy the future, said former adviser to a caretaker government Rokia Afzal Rahman, emphasising on improving the political culture for real development of the people.
Business leader Latifur Rahman said the political parties avoided the issue of hartals which causes serious damages to businesses and brings public sufferings. The political parties must refrain from such activities, otherwise the nation will go backward, he noted.
In response to the suggestions, Awami League leader Saber Hossain Chowdhury said government efforts alone will not be able to change the body politic, rather it will depend on an overall environment.
"Therefore, the top leaders of the winning party should first reach out to the opposition with a gesture of cooperation," he said, emphasising on strengthening the Election Commission, Anti-corruption Commission, Public Service Commission, and the administration.
Assuring that BNP will cooperate with the elected government even if it fails to get the majority required to form a government of its alliance, the party's Joint Secretary General Nazrul Islam Khan said the political parties have been subjected to a lot of harassment, and an opportunity has now come to bring back a political process in the country, which should be fully utilised by the parties.
"Our dreams will not come true, if we fail to create an environment of cooperation in politics," he said.
The daily Prothom Alo Editor Matiur Rahman, who moderated the discussion, said the caretaker government took many initiatives -- some of which have been successful and some have not, but the next government should continue the good ones for taking the country forward.
The Daily Star Editor Mahfuz Anam, who is also the publisher of both newspapers, also spoke.