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PLEASURE IS ALL MINE

Peace and normality: Not a tall ask

That the citizens have been going through many a sleepless night, workless day, threat to life and property, burning orgy and body blow to the economy is put down to opposition's hartal and oborodh programmes. It must be clear even to Khaleda's supporters by now that her alliance's calls for shutdown and blockade are fast fizzling into a fiasco.

SHAH HUSAIN IMAM
il | OSSESSION is nine-tenth of law" -- so goes IJ the virtue of occupation in property rights. It I appears the civil law aphorism holds true even in electoral politics by a telling twist of circumstances courtesy Sheikh Hasina.
One-tenth of space is allowed to a person having papers and documents to advance his or her claim to a disputed property. Such is the tenuous ground for the party which had boycotted the election, even resisted it with violence to ensure low turnout to peel off whatever little credibility it had any potential for. The January 5 polls may not have met ethical and moral standards, far less the expectations of the people, but legally and constitutionally, it couldn't be called into question.
The reality on the ground, though stranger than fiction, will have to be recognised. Sheikh Hasina technically stands reelected, again with four-fifths majority, but without a popular mandate as the lifeless election eloquently articulated. To top it up, the new parliament is going to be either oppositionless, or with a loyal or divided opposition. Some in JP raring to be ministers in the cabinet cannot let go of a lifetime opportunity to be one. Thus we are looking to a parliament answerable and accountable to none other than the PM and the party chief.
Recall that during Sheikh Hasina's majoritarian rule in the preceding term with her three-fourths majority in parliament, the controversial 15th Amendment to the Constitution was incorporated. This sowed seeds of the phenomenal plant we have grown now of political invincibility fortuitously bestowed on the Awami League. Just as a fruit-laden tree descends so must she with her renewal in power show humility.
This command performance of Sheikh Hasina in pulling off a stunner through an effective sway over the loyalties of the state institutions can make her feel more powerful. But at what cost! The institutions have been diminished crying to be put in good repair. She may be prone to self-righteous unilateral moves that she must wary of since hopefully wizening from past pitfalls.
The majority in the 10th Parliament has a redeeming feature in its potential for legislating political consensus on disputed issues going forward to a snap election.
The credibility of her regime at home and abroad will critically hinge on the order of priorities and the way she goes about using her power. She has to first set lawlessness right with a focus on protection of minorities; overall provide good, efficient and corruption-free governance. This if she wants to raise her stocks with the people for the election to the 11th Parliament, the pressure for which she will be hard pressed to shrug off.
Sheikh Hasina has to internalise the fact that she has won the election, but lost the count. Legitimacy is not given to her, she has to acquire it by taking politically correct steps. These should include a definitive timeline for a dialogue with BNP to have a fully participatory and inclusive election. Simultaneously, she has to give a roadmap for peaceful transition to 11th Parliament in consultation with all stakeholders. A start will have to be made in this direction within the first 100 days of her government.
Khaleda Zia's strategy of continuing movement alongside a recourse to discussion has failed because it predisposed constructive dialogue in a destructive ambience. Moreover, BNP's dependence on Jamaat-Shibir's muscle power to spearhead a campaign of terrorisation took away the party's shine on the sheen spruced up by anti-incumbency brush. Khaleda Zia has signaled in her recent interview with The Neu> York Times that she might in time distance herself from the Jamaat-Shibir combine. Yet, her at best ambivalent position on war crimes trial puts her at a disadvantage with the pro-liberation and secular forces.
That the citizens have been going through many a sleepless night, workless day, threat to life and property, burning orgy and body blow to the economy is put down to opposition's hartal and oborodh programmes. It must be clear even to Khaleda's supporters by now that her alliance's calls for shutdown and blockade are fast fizzling into a fiasco.
People are desperate for peace. For that to happen they would have nothing of the intimidating atmosphere. Let the government set the imprisoned opposition leaders free and allow them to function. The opposition for its part needs to put an end to hartals and blockades all at once.
Who 'first' has always been dogging the steps of the political parties, whether it was opposition leader's hesitancy in reciprocating PM's call or their reluctance to step back from punishing programmes against the people or the former freeing jailed opposition leaders. The elusive first step must be taken now and whoever does it would have its standing with the people infinitely enhanced. The sickening behaviour must change once and for all.
The writer is Associate Editor, The Daily Star. E-mail: husaindmam@ithedailystar.net