The fate of the caretaker government - going forward
On and off, there has been a talk about the need and justification of the caretaker government. It important to recognize that if we as a nation have done anything thoguhtful, this is it. In a way, we have recognized our shortcomings and put it on paper. While should work to correct the shortcomings, it is also important that this system has served us well so far, with some hiccup off coruse. We should be very careful in touching the system. Here are some thoughts.
[This is a repeat article. Given the political parties are working on their election manifestos, we thought it might be a good time to remind ourselves of the importance of protecting what have achieved so far. Here is the article with minor modification:]
Please allow us tell you one thing in a very plain language and propose something very humbly.
If our post-independence politicians have done anything good for themselves and for the country, it is the idea, demand and implementation of caretaker government system. The way this idea evolved and eventually got implemented, this is true example of participatory policy innovation where situation had driven the eventual solution to an acute problem that we had.
It is significant for various reasons from the context of political culture of Bangladesh. First of all, this is significant because it is probably one instance where our politicians have spoken the truth, they have acknowledged that they have a problem - we have a problem. And we have actually worked to solve the problem.
Now, nindukera will say that they neither tell the truth to rescue the country nor they had the best interest of the general people behind this policy. Rather they used their brain here because it was about the ruti-ruji'r vaga-vagi for them! But let us forget that aspect for today. After all, we want to look forward.
So, what is the problem with this rule?
There is no problem. Actually, we think this is a rule that will be copied or should be copied in most of the countries in coming days. This would be our next major export of idea - after micro-credit which is being implement around the world including in New York! Why do we think so? Because, this rule recognizes the limitation of an election-based democratic system for a soceity which is do not have enough tolerance, a system which has not developed the institutions to check and balance the problems of a democracy. The system of caretaker government acutally enforces some of the check and balance into the system nicely.
Off course, this is also an indication of a weak democracy - a demonstration of not-so-developed system. In other words, as long as we or any other country have it, it will be an indication that we have a problem within our system. Probably, thats why our intellects are trying to give lesson to us. They are like haturey dactars. You have a disease - but they would like you to beleive that you have been cured! This exactly have been happening in our national porimondol during the last several decades. We think there is still need for the system of caretaker system. It is not only a demonstration of our weakness, but it also is a demonstration of our effort that we are working towards fixing the problem. At least, this system prevents a negative progression.
Let us assume we are working towards fixing the problem - but when would we be done fixing it? How would we know?
This off course is a koti takar prosno. But we think this can be solved by some modification in the act. Election commission should consider making a minor amendment in the rules of the national election. The political parties should also include this in their election manifesto. Good thing would be if they can cooperate among themselves now and put an exactly same thing on their manifestos (same as far as modification of caretaker system is concerned). The idea is something like this:
During a national election every five years, the election commission can hold a parallel referendum asking a simple question - "Do you think our next national election should not be held under a caretaker government?"So, during the election people will send a slate of MP to the parliament. At the same time, they will also mention whether they think the upcoming government will be in power during the next election or whether a caretaker government should be installed for the next election. For example, say during the upcoming election, Party X may win the parliament but at the same time people might express their lack of confidence in that they do not think the same party can hold a fair election (which means there has be a caretaker government after the Party X ends its tenure).
In other words, people sends this Party X to form the government, but they do not think that the national institutions are strong enough to rely on Party X to hold the next national election. So, when the time of next national election comes, a caretaker government will be formed to hold that election. This would be repeated indefinitely.
There might be other minor things that can be done to improve the current provision of the caretaker government. But on broad scale, we should not think that our system has already outgrown the need of the caretaker system nor we have become more tolerant. Not yet.
Makes sense?
If you thought some of the ideas are worth of your reading time, please forward it to others. If you have an ear to the columinsts in regular traditional media, please forward it to them. If you have an ear to the journalists and news editors of the electronic media, discuss it with them. Hope they would look at the suggestions and give due diligence.
Thanks for your time,
Innovation Line
=================================================================
Note: This is a freelance column, published mainly in different internet based forums. This column is open for contribution by the members of new generation, sometimes referred to as Gen 71. If you identify yourself as someone from that age-group and want to contribute to this column, please feel free to contact. Thanks to the group moderator for publishing the article as Creative Commons contents.
Use ICT to practice democracy.
=================================================================
__._,_.___*****************************************
Sign the Petition : Release the Arrested University Teachers Immediately : An Appeal to the Caretaker Government of Bangladesh
http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/university_teachers_arrest.htm
*****************************************
Daily Star publishes an interview with Mukto-Mona
http://www.mukto-mona.com/news/daily_star/daily_star_MM.pdf
*****************************************
MM site is blocked in Islamic countries such as UAE. Members of those theocratic states, kindly use any proxy (such as http://proxy.org/) to access mukto-mona.
*****************************************
Mukto-Mona Celebrates 5th Anniversary
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/5_yrs_anniv/index.htm
*****************************************
Mukto-Mona Celebrates Earth Day:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Earth_day2006/index.htm
*****************************************
Kansat Uprising : A Special Page from Mukto-Mona
http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/kansat2006/members/
*****************************************
MM Project : Grand assembly of local freedom fighters at Raumari
http://www.mukto-mona.com/project/Roumari/freedom_fighters_union300306.htm
*****************************************
German Bangla Radio Interviews Mukto-Mona Members:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Darwin_day/german_radio/
Mukto-Mona Celebrates Darwin Day:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Special_Event_/Darwin_day/index.htm
*****************************************
Some FAQ's about Mukto-Mona:
http://www.mukto-mona.com/new_site/mukto-mona/faq_mm.htm
****************************************************
VISIT MUKTO-MONA WEB-SITE : http://www.mukto-mona.com/
****************************************************
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".
-Beatrice Hall [pseudonym: S.G. Tallentyre], 190
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe
__,_._,___