Bipartisanship means cooperative efforts of the government and the major opposition party to adopt legislation or resolve contentious issues. Consensus and compromise are the core of bipartisanship. Bipartisanship is also a strategic reaction to the demands of the electorate. Sometimes, partisan power struggle prevents a country from acting with a purpose and also tends to distort a political system.
The Marshall Plan (1947), and the establishment of North Atlantic TYeaty Organisation (Nato) are two examples of bipartisanship in American history. Bipartisanship is considered by some analysts as a means to better national security and foreign policy.
To any political analyst, bipartisanship in Bangladesh would sound like fiction since partisanship in politics has always been encouraged. Both the BNP and the AL did not cooperate and compromise on important national issues during the past 18 years. Indeed, the bitter politics of division, political turmoil. and antagonism was conspicuous.
Intense political confrontation, escalating violence, clashes and carnage
gripped Bangladesh during November 2006, to early January 2007. Apart from sharp divisions on many issuds, the two most popular leaders of the country were not even on speaking terms!
In Bangladesh, bipartisanship has been recommended by scholars, journalists, academics and members of the civil society. Political scientists believe that bipartisanship is possible when the political parties are regionally diffused, when sovereignty is threatened, or the economy is in serious crisis. Bipartisanship can help ascertain good governance in the country.
At the onset of 2009, the civil society, common people and the concerned international actors are waiting to witness the end of the political, social and economic predicaments which troubled Bangladesh. Time has come to move beyond bitterness and hostility. The triumphant AL leaders face a host of pressing problems, including economic crisis, endemic corruption and terrorism.
In order to promote national interests and also to ascertain AL's own trustworthiness, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, with her biggest parliamentary majority since 1973, must act prudently. On 31 December 2008, Hasina told a press
conference that she was ready to give senior parliamentary posts to BNP. Hasina said: "As winners, we have to deal with everything with a sense of forgiveness and accommodation instead of vengeance, to take the country forward in cooperation with all, irrespective of party affiliation."
If Hasina really wants bipartisanship, the following measures would be useful and effective:
• Political initiative and will to operate in a bipartisan fashion.
• Creation of bipartisan executive and legislative bodies in critical areas such as national security, energy and environment policy.
• Frequent dialogue with the main opposition.
In fact, Hasina has to act boldly with a bipartisan attitude like prime ministers Gough Whitlam and Kevin Rudd of Australia. Remarkably, "Whitlam Consensus" shaped the foundation of the succeeding foreign policies of prime ministers Fraser, Hawke and Keating. In March 2008, in his formal apology to the indigenous Australians, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd stunned many with a remarkable political program.
He invited the Conservative party to lend a hand in a joint policy commission on an indigenous housing plan. To address India's national security questions, bipartisan consensus between the BJP-led ruling NDA and the Congress was reached on India's policy towards Beijing in April 2004.
US President Barack Obama emphasised bipartisanship at a dinner honouring the Republican presidential candidate John McCain. Moreover, President Obama retained Republican Robert Gates as the US defense secre-
tary. In order to ensure continuity of government and promote bipartisanship, Obama has also inducted retiring Illinois Republican Representative Ray LaHood.
The questions that worry the people of Bangladesh are: Will the political leaders agree to a new mature approach to political principles, including bipartisanship? Will they begin a new era in Bangladesh politics and address the main challenges with optimism? Will the political parties do away with poli-
tics of bitter confrontation and develop a healthy political culture for sustaining democracy in the national interests? Will they pursue "agree to disagree" and bipartisanship in politics as practiced in established democracies in world?
Some suggest that Article 70 ought to be abolished to guarantee that every MP is free to vote according to his or her conscience, keeping in mind the people and not the party. Finding a bipartisanship consensus will remain elusive if BNP does not cooperate and if AL does
not give higher parliamentary posts to Khaleda Zia and her party as earlier promised by Sheikh Hasina.
One thing is obviously clear: Common people and the civil society do not want to see politics of hostility and politics of hartal any more. They want peace and prosperity, which can be best secured by a democratic government that ensures "life, liberty and property" through bipartisanship.
Dr. Kamal Uddin Ahmed is a Professor of Political Science, University of Dhaka. E-mail: Kamal 112au@yahoo.com.