Problem remains unchanged: Asif Nazrul
After the statements of the country’s two top leaders on the much-debated polls-time government, Executive Director of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Prof Iftekharuzzaman on Monday said the prospect of solution to the political crisis again looks bleak with the confrontation looming large.
“We’re saying with deep sorrows that the prospect of finding a solution through discussion that looked impending after Prime Minister’s speech has faded away as two parties (AL and BNP) made their opposition stances clear,” he told UNB over phone.
He said there are some logics behind the stances of the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader. “But these logics won’t work as they’re still moving at the opposite directions.”
Responding to a question, the TIB chief said if the two major parties do not find out a solution in between where they are now, the country will hurtle towards confrontation and violence will rule the streets mounting people’s sufferings.
“If it happens, it’s difficult to say what will be the consequences. But the progress towards democracy will be impeded no doubt,” Prof Zaman said.
Dhaka University Prof Asif Nazrul said the problem remains as it was even after the two leaders — Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia — rolled out their polls-time government formulas.
“The key problem is to who will be the head of the polls-time government. If the issue of polls-time government chief is worked out, all the problems will get resolved,” he told the UNB correspondent.
Asked about the positive aspects of PM’s speech, Asif Nazrul said the Prime Minister offered an all-party government and invited the opposition to be part of it by proposing their representatives’ names. “The negative aspect of her speech is that she did not make it clear who will be the head of the polls-time government,” he added.
Prof Zaman said the Prime Minister has softened her position by offering an all-party polls-time government. “But she didn’t tell who will head the interim administration.”
On the negative aspects of Khaleda’s speech, Asif Nazrul said Khaleda did not welcome the positive aspects of the PM speech. “She could have appreciated the PM’s offer saying it’s good but she has even a better option (polls-time govt formula).”
Her speech’s positive aspect is that she has come up with a different proposal and there was shift from her rigid stance. “And she has come up with an alternative proposal.”
Earlier in the day, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia offered an alternative formula to form a polls-time government led by a revered person comprising 10 ex-advisers from the 1996 and 2001 caretaker governments to be chosen by the ruling and opposition parties to hold an inclusive and credible election.
“I’m proposing that from those 20 Advisers the ruling party can propose five names and the opposition another five. They’ll be the Advisers to the forthcoming election-time government,” she told a crowded press conference at city’s Westin Hotel.
Khaleda also proposed that a respected citizen of the country on the basis of a consensus between the government and the opposition parties can be chosen as the Chief Adviser to the interim government.
On October 18, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina proposed forming an all-party election-time government to oversee the next general election but fell short of making it clear who will head the interim administration.
“We want to hold the next parliamentary elections taking all parties with us. It’s my proposal to the opposition party that we can form an ‘all-party government’ comprising all parties for the election period,” she said in her address to the nation.
Source: UNB Connect
