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Talking Polls and Beyond
'Minus-two formula was not to minus two leaders, it was to minus democracy'
Rashed Khan Menon is the president of Worker's Party. He started his political career during student life and was elected vice-president of Dhaka University Central Student's Union. Menon was elected member of parliament twice, in 1979 and 1991, from Barisal. He played an important role in the liberation war in 1971 and in the anti-autocratic movement against H.M. Ershad. Shariful Islam and Suranjith Deabnath took the interview.
Do you have any doubts about the December 18 national elections?
The election must be held on December 18. But. the attitude of the government and the Election Commission has created doubts among the public. The government could not take any effective step to create an atmosphere conducive to holding a free and fair election. We still have to run our political activities indoors under six set conditions. Besides, government advisers, including the chief adviser, are making statements regarding elections that are not clear to anyone. The delimitation issue has not yet been settled. Besides, this is an army-backed government. Though they are saying repeatedly that they have no high ambitions, we know they are trying to establish a con-aol system in Bangladesh. And. for doing that, they are taking various steps which are also creating doubts among the people.
Different political parties are pressing strongly for withdrawal of the state of emergency' during polls, but the government wants to hold the election under emergency. What is your view?
If the election is held under the state of emergency it will be questionable. The government is saying that it will relax or suspend the state of emergency, but it has no constitutional right to do that. The government says that it is keeping the state of emergency
for curbing corruption, but all corruption suspects have already come out of jails. Tarique Rahman has already gone abroad. Why should the whole country suffer for 180 or 200 people. If the state of emergency is needed to maintain law and order during election, it will be required in all elections in future. Election and state of emergency do not go together. If the EC and the government remain strict in holding a free and fair election it must be free and fair.
You wanted deferral of upazila election.
The whole nation will focus on national election. So holding of upazila election five days after the parliamentary’ one will hot be possible. Besides, voters will be confused if both the elections are held simultaneously. The caretaker government is holding the election due to their mistrust of political parties. How can you mistrust political parties that are going to lead the nation?
Will not it be easier for criminals to take part in election and flex their muscle power in elections under a political government?
In the 1979, 1986 and 1988 general elections, which were held under military government, killers were elected parliament members and I can identify them by name. This government is also a military-backed government So, it is not
true that criminals can participate, or be used, in elections held under a democratically elected government. After the 1990 mass movement we made a commitment for a fair election and an accountable government free from criminals, but unfortunately the two big political parties who ruled the country failed to perform. And, unfortunately, by that time our politics slipped into criminalisation, communalisation and corruption.
Why are political parties, including your party, expressing reservation about local election observers?
We raised the objection because, in the election of 2001, a good number of Jamaat and Island groups in the form of NGOs got registered as election observers, and they acted in favour of the BNP-Jamaat-led coalition in the election booths. There are still many such people. Why do they become election observers? The foreign community provides them funds. We told the EC to form an all-party election observer group that will observe the election.
Do you think the government and the EC back-tracked from their earlierpositionaboutreforms?
Excepting the EC, ACC, PSC and formation of some commissions, there were no other reforms by the government. The EC, on the basis of our reform proposals, made
some electoral reforms. However, the EC retreated from its earlier position on stopping religionbased politics and war criminals, though it earlier accepted those proposals. It admitted that and expressed frustratidn that it had to do that due to pressure from the executives.
Will the reforms play any role in changing the political culture?
There will be some changes in electoral culture. The change in political culture depends on the political parties. However, due to those electoral rules, political parties will think 10 times before doing anything, and this will be the only return from the laws. There will not be any basic reforms if political parties themselves do not change their political culture.
Should reform be imposed?
Reforms should come from inside. Reforms is the mindset, it is the political culture and behaviour and political practices.
How can the conflict and disbelief now prevailing in our political culture be removed?
Political parties need to accept election results, and play roles in parliament as treasury and opposition as per parliamentary norms. They also need to stop money games and criminalisation of politics.
How do you evaluate the success and failure of this government?
The government achieved successes in reforming the EC, ACC, PSC and some other commissions. It, however, proved seriously lacking in running the administration. It also lacks responsibility to the people. During this government's tenure, 40 lakh people in the informal sector have become unemployed and shelter-less, another 14 lakh have gone below the poverty line in the last one and a half years due to price hike of essentials, and
we have moved backward from forward marching position. Political corruption decreased slightly in the upper level, but institutional corruption increased. Besides, all the steps this government has taken regarding our national resources are controversial.
What’s your opinion about the so-called minus-two formula?
The minus-two formula was ill-conceived and unfortunate. It was not to minus the two leaders, rather it was to minus democracy. They could not convince the people. So, minus-two has turned to manage-two policy. It was a boomerang for the government.
What is your view about the anticorruption drive of the government?
Political bigwigs who thought themselves untouchable have been arrested. But, people's perception is that the anti-graft drive is a drive against politicians because the drive against corruption was not conducted with due transparency and accountability. Besides, corruption has shifted to other tracks from politics, but I do not want to mention those names. If you inquire about those who purchased lands and flats you will see corruption has been transferred, notremoved.
Do you think those who are accused of corruption should get nomination in the upcoming election?
In our reform proposal that we placed to the EC, we have clearly suggested not giving nomination to any corrupt people. Our party will not give nomination to corrupt people. Besides, 14-party alliance partners are also committed, as per our 23-point charter, not to nominate any corrupt people, criminals and black money holders. We hope they will
also not give nomination to such people.
If a big alliance partner like AL gives nomination?
In that case we will refrain from campaigning from such candidates. We will not take their responsibility.
What do you think about the proposed meeting between Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia?
I think political party leaders will hold dialogues among themselves, and it is nothing special. I believe political leaders should sit together if any crisis arises, and if the two top leaders sit together some results will come.
There is criticism about foreign diplomats' comments about our internal political activities. What is your view?
We are always against such activities. Unfortunately, during the political turmoil before 1/11, the US ambassador, the British high commissioner in Bangladesh, and the EU nakedly interfered in our politics, and they have continued it after the 1/11 changeover. They are again active as the next election is nearing. I think it is not only beyond diplomatic norms, but also unfortunate. The political parties also should not go to them willingly to have their views. The media people also should not want their views.
What is the position of Worker's Party in the 14-party alliance? Recently, 11 parties of the alliance held meetings separately.
Apart from the 14-party alliance activities, 11-party is doing its program separately. AL is also doing so. We had differences with the AL on some issues. When AL made a five-point agreement with Khelafat Majlish, 11-party held a press conference and protested it. What about H.M. Ershard's joining of the grand alliance?
Ershad is now talking about the grand alliance. I think he is doing so to consolidate his political position. I am not saying that there will be no grand alliance in the election but, till now, there has been no discussion in the 14-party about grand alliance. We have clearly said that Ershad has no chance of joining the 14-party fold. However, there might be unity with Jatiya Party about seat sharing in the upcoming election. We have already said we will not forge any political unity with communal and autocratic forces.
How do you see 1/11?
1/11 is nothing but an accident, and an abnormal situation. Our democratic trend has been affected, two years have been wasted and the country has gone
10 years backward. A non-elected government backed by the military never gave good results, and we will see that if we look at the last one year's economic indicators. This army-backed government wants to establish a control system under, and backed by, western powers and under the hegemony of an unconstitutional system for a long time, but they could not do that and will not succeed. The EU office here played a criminal role at that time.
Is there any lesson that political leaders can take from 1/11?
Political leaders will behave democratically and march forward upholding democracy. The lesson is that if you invite a tiger, it will attackyou.