& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Parliament urged to save and instal nation in a dignified position

Shahabuddin tells JS to find way for his exit

By Staff Correspondent
Acting President Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed on Friday told the Jatiyo Sangsad (parliament) that he wants to be relieved of his responsibility "at the earliest" to avoid any dichotomy In running the government.
In his inaugural address to the fifth Jatlya Sangsad. he called upon the elected representatives to resolve promptly "the constitutional problem' about transfer of power and his ■reversion" to the office of Chief Justice of Bangladesh.
He said, the cabinet that has been formed after the freest and fairest parliamentary election "in the last 20 years of our history" is a "party cabinet" and he is the "neutral interim president." "The cabinet will consider issues from a party angle and I would do it from a neutral angle. Hence it is essential for me to leave before any conflict of opinions has emerged", he told the Sangsad.
The Acting President sdid his principle task was to hold parliamentary elections within three months following his assumption of office when the former government relinquished power at the conclusive phase of the movement
"for restoring democracy after unseating autocracy". The election process which started on January 10. 1991 is now over with the opening of the fifth parliament, he noted.
In his address. Justice Shahabuddin narrated the socio-economic situation prevailing in the country. He drew attention of the elected repre sentatives and the new government to the hard facts of socio-economic life in "one of the poor countries of the world" "to save and instal the nation In a dignified and honourable position".
In an emotion-choked voice, he detailed out various measures taken by the Interim government for holding free and fair election. At the same time, effective steps were taken to tackle the most pressing and immediate administrative, economic and other Issues including allegations of corruption against the functionaries of the former government, jail riots and freedom of the press.
He said he intended to carry out the needed reforms in the Judiciary of the country during ills short tenure but the shortage of time limited progress in this direction.
The Acting President observed that he was invited not Io occupy the seat of President on December 6 last year as he soon discovered that he was "invited to sit on a heap of powder-keg which can explode any time*. He expressed his satisfaction that the par liamentary election could be held, with unstinted cooperation from ail In a neutral and peaceful manner and earned the admiration of the whole world "When future historians will Judge the short ad mln is tratton of my interim govern ment. they will sec tn hindsight that this administration was neutral and free of all flaws
He said he accepted the responsibility as the interim President, as a national duty, at the call of all political alliances. He recalled that he was chosen for "this office" because he was the sitting Chief Justice of Bangladesh and hence a neutral man. He pointed out that he made it clear at the very beginning that he would like to go back to his post after holding parliamentary elections within three months.
The Acting President said, there Is a constitutional problem about his reversion. "As per the constitutional provision. there is none now to whom I can submit my resignation The responsibility and the tenure of the Acting President will terminate as soon as an elected President assumes ofkee". he observed.
Explaining the constitutional problem, he said, election to the presidency will have to take place any time between April 23 and October 22. if there is the presidential form of government. In case of reversion to the parliamentary system, everything regarding the change-over" may be com-
pleted within the next one and a half months, he noted.
The Acting President said it is not for him but for the fifth Jattya Sangsad to decide the form of government. He said hts "only wish" at this moment la to get rid of the responsibility of "running the government" He however noted that circumstances under which "the Speaker can assume the responsibility of the Acting President under Article SS(2) of the Constitution do not exist at present".
In this context, he requested the Sangsad to add a Transitional and Temporary Provision to Part IV of the Constitution'. "If this la so done, only then I can get relieved of the present assign ment at the earliest’, he said.
The Acting President said the Joint Declaration or outline of the three alliances stated that he should transfer power to a sovereign parlt.i ment "This outline may not have any constitutional validity but it has sufficient political significance', he observed He called upon the members of the Jatlya Sangsad to arrive at a decision on the issue prompgy through mutual consultation.
He said, differences of opinion and modes of action are natural In a democracy but sharp differences of opinion on the basic issues render democracy "non-functtonal".
Justice Shahabuddin termed the country's fifth parliament as "markedly different from the previous ones” because Its members, elected in a completely free, fair and neutral way. "are public representatives in the truest sense of the term". The people are the sources of all power and you are their elected representatives". he said.