A seven-member delegation of BNP led by its secretary general Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan met the president and chief adviser (CA) to the caretaker government (CG) iajuddin Ahmed at Bangabhaban on November 4 and submitted to him a 10-point charter of demands.

First, it has been demanded that the constitutional bounds should not be crossed for taking any action. The message that BNP has wanted to give the CA is that his request to the CEC and three election commissioners to resign from their offices following the demand of the AL-led 14-party coalition will go beyond the constitution. it may be mentioned in this connection that some constitutional experts have already opined that making requests to the CEC and other election commission members by the CG to step down from their offices is not unconstitutional.

Further, only a few weeks ago, the then ruling BNP finance and planning minister M Saifur Rahman, law minister Moudud Ahmed, and communications minister Nazmul Huda favoured the CEC's resignation. The BNP has since changed its stance.

While addressing the party leaders and workers at the BNP central office in the evening of November 2, BNP chairperson and immediate past prime minister Khaleda Zia termed the CEC and the other election commissioners as "neutral and non-partisan persons." This encouraged the CEC to change his mindset; earlier on the same day he had told newsmen that if the advisers to the CTG requested him to resign, he would consider their request.

Second, BNP has demanded that the CA should not bow down to pressures from any quarters. There is nothing wrong with the demand. Neutrality is at the core of the caretaker system of government. Every body expects that the CA and other advisers will prove their non-partisan role in the discharge of their functions collectively and severally. They are under the oath "to do right to all manner of people according to law, without fear or favour, affection or ill-will."

Third, regarding the demand for taking immediate steps against the persons responsible for creating

anarchy by spreading violence and killing during the take over of power by the CTG, it may be said that it is the responsibility of any government, including the CTG to take action against any person(s) involved in looting, arson and other criminal activities. So, the CTG has to take action against those who committed these offences immediately before and after the assumption of the office of the CA by the president in addition to his own functions. Maintenance of law and

order is the sine qua non for holding the forthcoming general election peacefully and fairly and the cTG has to attach top priority to this issue whether any political party/alliance demands it or not.

Fourth, it has been demanded that the activities of the cTG should be limited to routine work and to assisting the Ec in conducting the elections and the cTG does not have any responsibility to make any policy decisions. it may be stated in this connection that although the cTG is scheduled to carry out the routine affairs of the government and assist the Ec for holding general elections freely, fairly and impartially, the ground realities will make it absolutely necessary for the cTG to adopt and execute important policy measures for holding the general election smoothly and neutrally as well as for functioning of the government effectively.

The cTG of 2001 went for amendments of the Representation of the People order (RPo), 1972. Nagorik committee 2006 has prepared a set of recommendations for the cTG to bring amendments to the RPo in order to ensure transparency in the electoral process, and these are: (a) compulsory registration of political parties; (b) bar on participation in elections by government officials within three years of their retirement; (c) disclosure of information about assets and financial liabilities of candidates; (d) formation of disqualification commissions for canceling candidatures in cases of proven violation of electoral code of conducts and for resolving electoral disputes within six months of filing the cases. The cTG and the Ec may have to go for amending the RPo to include these recommendations and any other reasonable proposal in the RPo to ensure transparency

in electoral process.

Fifth, regarding the demand for taking steps by the CTG and the EC to immediately publish voter roll in line with the High Court order, with necessary inclusions and deletions, it is stated that the AL-led coalition and some other political parties raised questions on the unusual rise in the number of voters (9.3 crore). Even some advisers to the CTG have reportedly questioned the acceptability of the updated voter list citing the

unusual rise in the number of voters and stressed the need for immediate measures to rectify the mistakes in the voter roll.

The Daily Star in its editorial of october 7 thus writes: "one of the most important prerequisites of a transparent and fair election is a voter list that is perfect in every sense, acceptable to all. Time cannot be an excuse for allowing wrongs to be sanctified. Mistakes must be corrected even if it means working overtime seven days a week before the election schedule is announced."

Sixth, BNP has stated that it is not against the voter identity cards bearing photographs, but it will be an impossible task to accomplish within the time available. Now the question arises as to why the Ec did not take necessary steps for providing voter identity cards in spite of raising the demand by the AL-led coalition much earlier. Voter identity cards can substantially reduce the casting of fake votes.

Seventh, BNP has demanded

that government officials, not involved in electoral duties, should not be transferred. it is a fact that politicization of administration is not new in the country. But it reached a new height in the past five years of the BNP-led alliance rule affecting every sphere of the administration. To make the administration nonpartisan to the extent possible, all contractual appoints should be immediately cancelled and senior officers known for their partisan

role transferred from sensitive posts in the Bangladesh secretariat, department and autonomous bodies.

The deputy commissioners (Dcs) acting as the as the returning officer (Ro) in their respective districts are the most important persons in the conduct of elections within the areas under their jurisdiction. So, those Dcs who are known for their partisan role should be immediately replaced by officers known for their non-partisan role, efficiency, and honesty. The upazila nirbahi officers (UNos) act as the assistant Ros in their respective jurisdiction. So, those UNos who are known for their partisan behaviour should be replaced by non-partisan officers. Similarly, the superintendents of police (SPs) in the districts, who are known for partisan behaviour, should be replaced by nonpartisan officers.

Eighth, it has been demanded that the cTG should continue the development programs of the

immediate past BNP-led 4-party alliance government. The adviser for finance and planning has already made it absolutely clear that fund disbursement to the new projects, taken in the current fiscal year despite not fulfilling strict economic criteria, would remain suspended until the next government assumes office.

Ninth, as for the demand for removal of the two advisers cM Shafi Sami and Sultana Kamal for meeting the AL president Sheikh Hasina at Sudha Shadan on November 2, for conveying the message that the government has initiated steps to reconstitute the Ec, clarification has

already been made that they met Sheikh Hasina following a consensus decision of the council of advisers. There is nothing wrong with the advisers meeting the leaders of the major political parties and discussing with them the ways and means to overcome the present political impasse and to hold the forthcoming general

election peacefully and fairly.

Tenth, BNP has demanded that the forthcoming general election should be held 15 days before the completion of the tenure of the cTG. The cTG is aware of holding the election in due time to help transfer of power to the elected government before the expiry ofits tenure.

To conclude, political parties must not burden the cTG with demands that are beyond its purview and capacity to be implemented within its short tenure. The political parties should extend their full cooperation to the cTG to discharge its assigned responsibilities. The cA and the advisers must prove their neutrality in discharging their functions to win the people's confidence and to create an atmosphere that will enable holding of the ensuing general election peacefully, fairly and impartially.

M Abdul Latif Mondal is a former Secretary to the Government.

***Political parties must not burden the CTG with demands that are beyond its purview and capacity to be implemented within its short tenure. The political parties should extend their full cooperation to the CTG to discharge its assigned responsibilities. The CA and the advisers must prove their neutrality in discharging their functions to win the people's confidence and to create an atmosphere that will enable holding of the ensuing general election peacefully, fairly and impartially.***