Final Death Sentence

F R Chowdhury

Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Democratic leaders have to embrace the verdict of the people and learn to live with dignity and honour while out of power. If they get addicted to power, they tend to stoop to corrupt practices.
In power, if one happens to indulge in corruption, one remains in constant fear of being exposed after leaving power. Then one makes all efforts to prolong hold over power by all possible means, fair or foul. One starts believing oneself as the sole patriot. One finds justification for holding on to power to ensure continuity of progress and development. Thus power hungry dictators emerge. They apply undemocratic means to silence all opposition to remain in power. In most cases they achieve short term success but eventually come to violent fall.

Nicolae Ceausescu, the former president of Romania is an example. After the Second World War, Romania became part of now defunct Soviet Union. He became the First Secretary (Secretary General) of the Communist Party (effectively the head of the government) in 1965. Two years later he became the Executive President. Ceausescu eventually became the leader of the party, head of the government and head of the state, consolidating all power in one hand. The armed forces, civil administration and judiciary were brought under his firm grip. Court verdicts always reflected the wishes of the president. Radio, television, and newspapers were state controlled.
There was no private enterprise. Economy was stagnant. Yet, capital city Bucharest looked very colourful. Everything was named after the president and every magazine and journal printed stories of his great achievements. Foreign visitors were very impressed. They were amazed to see his popularity. Ceausescu was honoured at home and abroad. He received several doctorate degrees from various universities. He also received many so-called prizes and honours including Knighthood from the United Kingdom (though later withdrawn).
Back home his security forces remained busy arresting political rivals and framing imaginary charges against them. Some political activists were made to disappear without any trace (In recent days, though, there happened an instance of disappearance of a political dissident surfacing in another country, a feat not matches by Ceausescu’s opponents).
Prominent leaders of miners, who forced Ceausescu’s government to negotiate with them, died mysteriously from cancer within two years of such negotiation. Ceausescu and other party leaders would hold frequent meetings and rallies as show of force. No outdoor gatherings, not even music festivals were allowed for fear that such gatherings might voice protest.
Romania eventually became one of the poorest nations in Europe. Population growth became negative. It did not improve even after announcement of government incentives for more children. As electronic communication came into use, younger Romanians, especially the students began exchanging information and ideas with other young people in Europe. The security agencies either failed to detect the communications, or deliberately ignored the development.
It was on 21st December, 1989 that Ceausescu came on the stage to address a vast rally not knowing that groups of opponents infiltrated the crowd. The president’s speech met with heckling interruptions. Ceausescu initially thought that the outbursts were in his enology, even when young people were chanting “down with Ceausescu.” The president’s loyal forces fired on the crowd and removed the president to safety. But it was not possible to silence the crowd with guns. The unrest spread to other cities.
Next day (22-12-1989) the president tried to address the people from the balcony of the Central Committee Building when an agitated crowd rushed toward the building. The president left the place through a back door to board a helicopter with his wife from the roof-top of the building. The military sided with the crowd and the helicopter was ordered to land before it could cross the border. There was a show trial lasting no more than five minutes at the nearest military base. The verdict was death by firing squad.
The irony of fate is that the death of Ceausescu and his wife by firing squad was perhaps the final death sentence in that country, as Romania abolished capital punishment.

Captain Fazlur Rahman Chowdhury, M.Sc. (WMU) and Master Manner (UK), had served in Bangladesh as Director General of Shipping, and in U.K. as Deputy Chief Examiner of Seafarers, U.K.-MCA. He is now enjoying retired life in London and contributing his observations on current affairs in Bangladesh.

Source: Weekly Holiday