& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

President, his oath and affirmation

Mahfuzur Rahman
SOMETIMES truth is stranger than fiction. Our president's reference to his constitutional constraint proves the old adage right. Opposition leader Khaleda Zia met President Abdul Hamid last Tuesday, seeking his intervention to resolve the country's prolonged political crisis and thus ensure an inclusive election. But her hope apparently got dashed when the titular head of the state told her that no government in the past did anything to empower the president so that he could play a meaningful role during a national crisis like the one we are passing through.
Kahaleda Zia met the president a day after the formation of a so-called interim government for election oversight. There was a rumour that the opposition alliance, after the meeting, would come up with an announcement that it would join the 'all-party' government and then contest the election. But nothing like that has happened. Though oppressed and deprived over the years, the people of Bangladesh are always democracy loving and optimistic. On October 26, when the country was abuzz with Khaleda-Hasina phone talk, the people had expected that something solid might come out. But, ultimately it turned out to be mere eyewash.
What the president brought into the limelight during his meeting with the opposition leader deserves serious attention as all the presidents in the past skipped playing their due role in any national crisis on the same pretext. The failure to empower the president goes equally to all the past 'democratic' governments. They did nothing to ensure a functional democracy in the country other than drumming up their so-called development activities. But it is also true that the spirit of the president's remarks has left little room for ambiguity that he is not ready to rise above the party line.
Despite the president's reference to his constitutional limitation, many believe that he could play a useful role in resolving the ongoing crisis. He cannot blind himself to the political realities which are clouding the country's bright prospect, putting its democracy in jeopardy. He could at least have come up with a strong call for all to save democracy rather than saying he would convey the opposition's message to the ruling party.
Though the president is only a figurehead and just abides by the advice of the prime minister, he takes oath to preserve, protect and defend the constitution. The president, as per the constitution, takes oath in the following form: "I, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faith-
fully discharge the duties of the office of President of
Bangladesh according to law: That I will bear true faith and allegiance to Bangladesh: That I will preserve, protect and defend the Constitution: And that I will do right to all manner of people according to law, without fear or favour, affection or ill-will."
The oath and affirmation give an impression that the president can still do and undo many things. It can also be said that in case of any violation of the constitution by any state organ it is the responsibility of the president to look into it. Many constitution experts, after the en masse resignation of ministers and junior ministers last week and their continuation of office, said there had been a violation of Article 58 of the Constitution, which says: Article 58. (1) The office of a Minister other than the Prime Minister shall become vacant (a) if he resigns from office by placing his resignation in the hands of the prime minister for submission to the president...
Unfortunately, there has been no response from the President's Office despite controversy over the issue. Experts think that the president could be very effective even under the existing constitution by asserting his personality, integrity and competence.
What we are now seeing is dirty politics. The rumour which has long been in the air is now gaining ground that the ruling alliance is making a desperate move to isolate the opposition BNP politically by keeping it out of the election race.
It would be an irony of history if, today, the president does not use his good office in the name of constitutional restraint to save democracy from imminent danger because the brave people of this nation had fought a nine-month bloody war to establish a political system that would ensure their basic rights and economic emancipation.
They want all the political parties as well as the government to adhere strictly to democratic principles and the rule of law, thereby paving the way for free, fair, credible and inclusive elections. Creating a crisis to capture power and resorting to election engineering to perpetuate any party's rule are not acceptable in a democracy.
The political culture in Bangladesh has been confrontational. No matter who is in power, the ruling party always tries to sideline its opponents, prompting them to take to the streets. The culture of muscle flexing in the country's politics should go. To make that happen, the president should come forward, and this is the right time to do that.
A consensus between the ruling and the opposition camps on how to put in place an interim cabinet should be the first step towards establishing such a political culture.
The writer is Chief News Editor of United News of Bangladesh (UNB).