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Reforms not possible for bitter ties of AL, BNP

Star Report
Former chief election commissioner MA Syed was annoyed
with adversarial attitude of Awami League and BNP and had said electoral reforms were critical for the ninth parliamentary election because of the unprecedented bitterness in politics.
"It's bothersome that the two parties don't talk to each other. The adversarial attitude is so deep, who will ensure a level playing field?" Syed said to US diplomats on May 24, 2005, according to a leaked cable.
After completing his five year tenure, Syed retired as CEC on May 22,2005 and at a meeting with officials of US embassy in Dhaka discussed his tenure as country's polls chief and his outlook on the ninth parliamentary election.
The then US ambassador Harry K Thomas in a cable on May 24 that year reported to Washington about the discussion.
He wrote on his penultimate day as CEC Syed presented to the then president lajuddin Ahmed a six-point electoral reform programme: an independent, financially autonomous secretariat for the EC; the introduction of electronic voting machines and an electronic voter roll; army deployment in city corporation and municipal polls; and the creation of an electoral inquiry committees for local government elections.
Asked can the general election succeed without these reforms, Syed, according to the cable said, no.
"The reforms are very critical. The government has to demonstrate goodwill by bringing in wholesome reforms," the cable quoted Sayed as saying.
He also decried the constitutional amendment that added two years to the chief justice's service terming it "very frustrating and immoral."
The amendment triggered widespread controversy as it paved the way for former chief justice KM Hasan to lead the caretaker government after the end of BNP-Jamaat-led government's rule.
Asked about his main accomplishments as CEC, Syed said, according to the cable, elections are nothing new in Bangladesh. The British left us a pretty good system, but still a lot of things
are left to be done.
"Bangladeshis love elections, but there is a group of powerful people with a hidden agenda who want to win by hook or by crook. In the 2001 election, I convinced the president that he had to send out the army. That was very important," Thomas wrote to Washington quoting Syed.
About his frustration as CEC, Syed said to diplomats, "number one, it's what all people talk about, law and order. Nobody can hide that. I shouted myself hoarse calling for army for the local parishad elections."
"If the government had cooperated, those elections would have been much cleaner," the cable quoted Syed.
The BNP-led government had refused to respond to the EC's request to deploy army in the union parishad elections in2003.
Talking to diplomats Syed also spoke about problems with the then EC secretary SM Zakaria, who later was appointed as an election commissioner.
"I brought him in because he had good experience, even though he was under a cloud at his old ministry. But I learned I couldn't trust him. He altered corrections I made on a document. You have to be able to trust your right hand man," Syed said.
"TWice I wrote to the PM asking her to remove him. She refused, and he is now in their books.
The US diplomats also asked Syed what happened in much controversial byelections in Dhaka-10 parliamentary constituency held in 2004. Was it as blatantly rigged as people said?
In response, the ex-CEC said "It was a disgrace. ...but the party in power applied all means, fair and foul, towin."
"There's an old saying: winning or losing is the least part of the battle, it's how you fight that counts. This was a prestige matter for the BNP You need a firm, determined government to be neutral to stop things like this," the cable
quoted Syed as saying.
"The BNP will face one big obstacle at the general election: a caretaker government, not them, will be in the saddle."
Asked to comment about his successor Justice MA Aziz, Syed told diplomats that he did not know Aziz. "But why the hush hush in appointing him at the last minute? Who is he?
"When the Awami League chose me, the BNP complained, but then the BNP won the 2001 election with a thumping majority. Does he [Aziz] have the integrity and guts to do this job?
"The opposition wanted consultation, and it would have been gracious of the government to do that because of the current situation. The political situation has never been so bitter and adversarial," he added.
The US ambassador in the cable commented Bangladesh badly needs a CEC maverick like India's TN Seshan to instil verve and confidence in its electoral management, but neither Syed nor his successor fits that mould.