Any sort of party reform should follow the bottom-up approach. Party members at the grassroots level should decide what reforms they want to see in their respective parties, and only then can a sustainable change be achieved.

REFORM, especially political party reform, was a buzzword that baffled our country's people during the previous caretaker regime. Some of that government's advisers, along with some members of different political parties and civil society, emphasised the urgency of political party reform. Ironically, that advocacy distorted the very connotation of the term "reform."

To them, reform signified dislodging Sheikh Hasina and Begum Khaleda Zia from their respective parties' apex positions. For this, in following Pakistan's General Musharraf's steps, they tried to implement the so-called "minus-two" theory but failed as the country's democracy-loving people strongly con-

demned the Fakhruddin's government's stance.

However, the public still wants to see a qualitative change in the political parties. No doubt, our political domain is now moth-eaten. Ideological bankruptcy, devoid of the internal practice of democracy, nontolerance, dominance of muscle power and above all political criminalisation are the essence of the present-day Bangladeshi politics. To get rid of these, political parties must be reformed. For this, some strategies are outlined as follows:

• Political parties must ensure the internal practice of democracy. For this, they should arrange regular councils at the grassroots level, following the provisions of their respective party constitutions.

The selection of top leaders, including the party chief and different committee members, should be made in a democratic manner. Moreover, the party constitution should include a provision for accountability of the party leaders to its members, if there is none in the existing constitution. The Election Commission (EC) should devise a strategy to monitor whether a party is practising democratic norms in this regard.

Following the EC's instructions after the last general election, major political parties arranged their councils, but apparently those were mere eyewash since their councillors did not get the opportunity to elect their parties' executive members in the real sense.

• Political parties must not give party membership to identified criminals or convicted persons (at least for a certain period after their punishment) with a view to decriminalising the country's political arena.

• Representation from society's different segments should be ensured in party forums at different stages. Proportionate inclusion of women should be especially

considered.

• A party must have some vision and a mission, and must work for the society in line with these.

• The nominations for national elections should be given very carefully. Honest, dedicated, knowledgeable persons of integrity should be selected as national and local election candidates. In the nomination process, the party can follow a democratic approach for a better outcome. This, eventually, will stop the "nomination trade" that we observed during some past elections.

• A party's financial transaction must be transparent. For this, party funds and transactions must be regularly audited and revealed to party members. The EC should take initiative in this regard to minimise the country's corruption level. It is quite unfortunate that though the EC has formulated a law in this connection and urged the major political parties to submit audit reports on their financial transactions, they have not yet responded positively.

• Political parties should always be dynamic and pro-people. They should have a research cell, which can play a vital role in making pro-people decisions.

Religion is a very sensitive and emotional issue. The use of religion, specially in election campaigns, must not be encouraged by any party. The EC can play a positive role in this context. The recent Supreme Court verdict banning religiousbased politics in connection to the 5th amendment is really encouraging. Hopefully, Parliament will take the initiative to ban religion-based politics following this verdict.

If political parties reform according to the above-stated guidelines, then no doubt the country's political domain will transform into a healthy and congenial one.

In conclusion, any sort of party reform should follow the bottom-up approach. Party members at the grassroots level should decide what reforms they want to see in their respective parties, and only then can a sustainable change be achieved. Adoption of any top-down approach for so-called reform will only weaken the party without realising the major spirit of that reform.

Md. Anwarul Kabir is a university academic and a writer. Email: kabiranwar@yahoo.com.