Ghulam Murshed
During 2013-14, 3 important general elections were slated to be held in this subcontinent, Pakistan, Bangladesh and India. The one in Pakistan was already held in May 2013 and Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) won, becoming the Prime Minister for the record 3rd time defeating others including PPP, at a time when its economy slumped with no gas, water and electricity in most areas, as successive governments did nothing towards establishment of democracy in its real term while Pakistan has been passing through a phase of instability.
Pak Prime Mminister Nawaz Sharif addressing his countrymen expressed deep worries on the country’s day by day worsening situation; he talked about the Islamic extreme activities and appealed to people to support him when there was a threat to the security of the country and many other countries besides India and Afghanistan had been warning that 55% civilians are home-grown Taliban and half of the defence sector is Taliban sympathisers. In the eyes of the world, Pakistan is known not only as the cocoon or asylum of the fundamentalists but also a nursery of the terrorists running a parallel government.
Can Sharif curb terror?
The sordid incident of Red Mosque has multiplied the problems and immediately afterwards army was attacked, suicide bombings and assailants were on the increase. Even the Chief of Army Staff Gen Musharraf narrowly escaped thanks to an electronic device provided by the US, which delayed the remote controlled time bomb explosion by only seconds while he was returning from his office in Islamabad to his residence Army House in Rawalpindi.
These attacks, originating from tribal areas of Pak-Afghan border, quickly spread out their tentacles in many pockets of Pakistan including major cities. Actually this belt, Waziristan could never be properly governed since partition. Now the need of the hour is that anti-terrorism groups should come forward and help Nawaz Sharif to curb terror.
Meanwhile, discontent has boiled over drone attacks in Pakistan as the country’s sovereignty was at stake. And Uncle Sam was the last resort. So, Sharif with all hopes and hypes went to America where he was welcomed in the Oval Office at the White House. Sharif did all the talking for 15 minutes. Obama only listened and then released $ 1.6bn in aid for helping to kill Osama in Abottabad by the world’s most lethal elite force US Navy Seal, adding that all successive governments in Pakistan have not done enough to dismantle the terror networks of al-Qaeda and Taliban.
Finally, Obama reassured Pakistan on Aghanistan, but not a single word on drone attacks. The Washinton Post published a leaked report that Islamabad had secretly and tacitly endorsed such attacks, even picked targets. Sharif talked about it only to pacify the infuriated Pakistanis. Sharif then returned on a discordant note.
The most potent initiative to break the shackles of the feudal families in Balochistan is the Army’s tremendous efforts to kindle hope in that province and to educate the youth. There is no substitute to peace with India but not at the cost of Pakistanis’ self-respect. Obama and Sharif also need to coordinate strategy and diplomacy ahead if major policy changes in the region by 2014, when both Afghanistan and India elect new leaders.
Indian electoral scene
Indian election is scheduled on May 14, 2014. The suspense is over and the exciting drama has already kicked off. Such is the euphoria about Gujarat’s Chief Minister Narendra Modi being declared as BJPs Prime ministerial candidate that every other got buried and writing the political obituary of BJP patriarch LK Advani who bites the bullet while Modi rode on the RSS and BJP has come as a cropper. Modi track record as the anti-Muslim communalist is not unknown. He says more Muslims will vote for him now not out of love or admiration but fear
There seems to be a toss-up between divinity and development. The only plausible explanation for Modi’s stance can be that he is trying to protect himself as pro-development versus his being pro-religion. If anything, his anointment lifted Hindutva curtain. Some commentators say Indians are political animals and give a damn about what goes in Delhi and Ahmedabad and to India’s society and its fabric. Business community in Modi’s state is having a field day with less government and all incentives.
He is now up in arms against Rahul Gandhi for the India’s top job, ending the curse of dynastic rule perhaps once and for all. Rahul’s name is bandied about directly by his mother as the right person to challenge Modi. Unfortunately Congress popularity is so much on the wane that in the state election none from Nehru or Gandhi family won in Bareilly, their own constituency. Modi’s getting away with mass murder of Muslims under Congress government in Delhi robbed India of its much-hyped secular character. The other problem is that Rahul, educated in London’s Oxbridge Institution, cannot figure out the brand of local politics, feeling like an Alice in Wonderland.
He has trouble communicating or connecting with voters and it is not wrong to suggest that he speaks a completely alien language which creates a problem. And he is completely out of sync with ground reality as he doesn’t talk political lingo and talks of space terminology and advanced physics, that too before Dalits, the most illiterate electorate. Rajiv’s daughter Priyanka Vadra did it for him before but following CBI exposure of her spouse Robert Vadra in a billion dollar scam, she hesitates facing crowds.
Democratic boom or gloom?
In Bangladesh, election to the next and 10th parliament will be held in Jan 2014. For the last few months, a political impasse has been precipitated on the question of the poll time neutral government. Sheikh Hasina had invited Opposition chief to her residence for a dialogue. Opposition chief wanted the ruling party chief to first agree in principle over her demand of a CG during polls and she does not like to go for a Joyride beating around the bush without coming to the point.
However, the Prime Minister won’t go beyond the constitution which was amended by the ruling party with absolute majority on voice vote in the parliament scrapping the provision of a CG during polls. And the RPO too was amended last week allowing candidature with instant joining in parties. Earlier it required an individual to have involvement in a political party for at least 3 years. So the opposition says government has a blueprint of holding a freestyle one sided poll with participation of some one man or signboard parties by attracting them with cabinet posts to show to the world that a participatory or all party Inclusive election was held.
But there is never a parliamentary election without the largest opposition party anywhere in the world. The opposition further argues that the government is doing everything it can to hang on to power and has secretly prepared a plot against the opposition. Meanwhile, other political butterflies are waiting to strike when the iron is hot. Actually the ruling party sincerely desired to complete its commitment of 2008 lest it was destabilized, hence a second term.
A point that ruling party does not want to consider what do the people want? The people simply want a free, fair, credible and inclusive election that ensures good governance and the main political parties displaying their conviction in communicative interplays, essential for strengthening democracy and rule of law and justice and not veer from prevailing public sentiment via using vital democratic tools. And the chief of the losing party should leave out of his/her own accord as did the Australian Labour PM after recently losing to the other winning party chief Tony Abbott.
Hopefully better sense from the new year would permeate our politics When the field will not be wide open for the mediocre to get in and reign supreme as better people will no more turn their backs to politics. Geographically small, demographically big, Bangladesh is far from being a doomed country, not yet destined to die a political death. Is it not a gross travesty of the undeniable truth?
Source: Weekly Holiday
