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STRATEGICALLY SPEAKING

The art of compromise

Brig Gen Shahedlil Anam Khan ndc, psc (Retd)
IN her press conference on Tuesday the leader of the opposition made some very interesting comments including democratic politics being the art of compromise; more on that later. First a few comments on some of her other remarks.
Khaleda Zia made a call to her followers not to indulge in violence and that there would be zero tolerance for targeting the minorities. Regrettably, we did not hear a word of regret or con-
solation for the minorities or for all the victims of violence so far, particularly in the last two months which have witnessed terror in the name of political programmes.
She felt hurt at Pakistan's reaction to the hanging of one of its accomplices of 1971 genocide, but what we heard emerge from the BNP was at best a rap on the knuckle of a truant boy.
Khaleda Zia has asked the people to March to Dhaka on December 29. The leader of the opposition termed it as 'March for Democracy.' Very few would take issue with her on the underlying motivation of such a programme -- a credible election under a polltime dispensation that would be acceptable to all parties. And very few would contest the fact that the forthcoming election defies all canons of democratic practice. And that it will not have the moral validity even if it could be explained away on constitutional merit, although some would contend that it will lack constitutional validity too, since the election violates the spirit if not the letter of the constitution. And that has
been recognised too by the PM. Otherwise why the hurry on her part to broach the issue of 11"' Parliament when we are not done yet with the voting of the 10"’?
The question is if the BNP feels that there is need to 'march for democracy,' and we know to what decrepit depth democracy has sunk, then there is need also to delve into why democracy has been impeded in the first place, and who created those impediments. Khaleda Zia made a very significant observation during her one hour long speech on Tuesday. She said that democratic politics is the art of compromise, and I shall hold her to it, because not to a little degree it is also the unwillingness on her part to compromise that we have come to such a pass.
Well, we can hold the government responsible for not responding to the opposition's overtures and for ramroding the 15lh Amendment down the throat of the public. It has cared little for the public sentiment which was generally inclined towards a neutral arrangement to conduct the polls. In general, the Sheikh Hasina govern- ment has been absolutely inflexible. However, would one be remiss to ask whether the BNP has demonstrated any degree of flexibility on its part to save the country from a veritable disaster? Sticking consistently on a non-party election-time government does little to demonstrate that the BNP is actually practicing the art of compromise. And therefore before the 29* of December the party should indulge in serious introspection regarding its responsibilityin creating the mess that we are in today.
Regrettably, compromise in politics, as we had mentioned in this column before, has become synonymous to defeat. And regrettably too, the two parties have left no maneuver space for themselves where a little give and take would not be seen as defeat for one party but a victory of the people. And if the two parties really wanted to spare the country the ignominy of unsolicited foreign advice on the political impasse they would have come to a mutual understanding by now. Not only is compromise the best and cheapest lawyer it is saves the country
international embarrassment.
The political gambits resorted to by both the AL and BNP have degenerated into a tribal war, where petty tribal (party) loyalty and tribal interest have superseded the loyalty to the people and the state. One wonders whether the two are aware that they have involved themselves in a zero-sum game where whoever is the winner the zero is the public who in their equation counts for nothing. The people are there only as stepping stones to power or to hold on to it.
Democracy is in danger, but no marches for democracy or unnecessary violence or repression of the minorities or the opposition would yield result if we stick to inflexible positions and are unwilling to compromise.
We feel that both the parties have realised that their respective position is erroneous position and both must get off their high horse.
The writer is Editor, OP-Ed and Defence & Strategic Affairs, The Daily Star.