No room for rhetoric

All I've ever heard is promises. Photo: Adnan/ Drik News

THE government came to power with a pledge to bring about a change. Obviously, this means that the government should and must change the status quo ante insofar as it runs counter to established norms of good governance and democratic rule, and the overall interests of the people and the country. Unfortunately, there has not been any such change as yet.
The government is up against a formidable opposition, comprising mostly the anti- liberation forces, who had not taken kindly to Pakistan's having dismemberment in 1971. They have gained in political strength and support for the simple reason that they have been in the corridors of power since 1975, except for a brief spell of AL rule.
The only way this government can stay in power peacefully is by holding the opposition at bay, staying on course to genuine democracy, and combating corruption within the ruling party. It must try to win the hearts of the people by pursuing a pro-people policy of improving the lot of the common people who live in the villages and in the slums in big cities and towns.
In these days of global economic crisis there is a need now for the government to practice austerity, starting from the president, the prime minister, ministers, members of parliament, down to the junior-most government official.
In a poor country like ours there is no room whatsoever for anyone to travel in luxurious cars and live in luxury at state expense. It is only befitting that the government ratifies the ordinance promulgated during the last caretaker government, and scraps the MPs' privilege of importing duty free cars. This privilege has been thoroughly abused in the past by MPs, who sold their luxurious cars and earned a good deal of money.
There has been an outcry by the parliamentarians against ratification of this ordinance. It is appalling to see how parliamentarians are more focused on lining their pockets rather than working to improve the lot of the poor people they represent. These parliamentarians would have earned the gratitude of the people and the media if they had voluntarily renounced this privilege, which had been doled out to them during the autocratic regime of Hussain Mohammad Ershad.
Another area where the sincerity of this government will be put to test is the involvement of MPs in the development activities of their constituencies. All MPs of the ruling party are clamouring in the parliament for direct involvement in the implementation of all development works in their constituencies.
They have been demanding an office at upazilla level so that they can lord over the upazilla parishad. No wonder they are against ratification of the Local Government Commission Ordinance promulgated during the last caretaker government, which aims at strengthening the local government system.
Their over-enthusiasm for involvement in local development works is not difficult to understand. During BNP rule, MPs were allotted huge amounts for development works in their constituencies. Sometimes, funds were allotted just on the eve of elections. There was no transparency and accountability of how these funds were spent.
No wonder that MPs of the ruling party are demanding not only a role for direct involvement in development of their constituencies. Small wonder that these MPs are demanding that the parliament does not ratify the Local Government Commission Ordinance.
There were startling media reports that during the last BNP-Jamaat alliance government many bridges and culverts were constructed under local government agencies, but were not traceable on the ground. This is how corruption spawned and spread fast like cancer, and development suffered and wilted under the BNP- Jamaat alliance government. Begum Khaleda Zia quite often boasted of such a "deluge" of development.
I am not against MPs shying away from development of their constituencies. They ought to be in touch with their grassroots level party leaders and the upazilla parishads in assessing and planning development works. They must use their political influence in getting these development works sanctioned and adequate funds allotted.
But implementation of all development works and spending of development funds must be left to the upazilla parishad, which is an elected body. Under no circumstances should MPs meddle in matters like who should or should not be given the work order and how funds are to be disbursed.
The government can and must improve its pro-people image by enhancing the existing rentals of Nam flats occupied by MPs as per rates fixed earlier by the caretaker government. It is a shame that our MPs, who constitute the wealthiest section of our people, pay a paltry sum of Tk. 400 or 500 as monthly rental for a fully furnished flat at state expense, while a low paid government employee cannot even dream of living in a dingy government flat at that rent. MPs having any qualms would have preferred either not to live in these flats at these rents, or to ask for rationalisation of rents long before.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina must realise that the people who voted her to power would like seeing how the government performs. There is no time for rhetoric.

Brig. Gen. Shamsuddin Ahmed (Retd) is a former Military Secretary to the President.