The killing of opposition political leaders takes place in many countries, leading to concerns. The killings of prominent opposition leader Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan in 2007, Benigno Aquino Jr. in the Philippines in 1983 and Chokri Belaid in Tunisia in 2013 are some notable examples. Very recently, according to multiple sources including the BBC and CNN, the death of Alexei Navalny, the prominent opposition leader and a strong critic of the Russian regime, in a prison of the Russian Federation has led to strong global reactions, protests and arrests in different cities including Moscow. Though whether he was killed is still unknown, many doubt that he was killed by the Russian government.
It is notable that the criticism of opposition political leaders plays a crucial role in addressing economic, political and other concerns in different countries. But the killing of opposition leaders leads to political and other negative outcomes. The killing of opposition leaders — rendered a tactic used by authoritarian regimes — leads to increased polarization within society and puts a threat to political dissent and freedom of speech, further eroding the principle of political tolerance and leading to authoritarian rule. Such killings also lead to increased political instability and social unrest many times. For instance, the killing of Chokri Belaid sparked widespread instability and unrest in Tunisia. Among others, the killing of opposition leaders leads to the erosion of trust in government institutions.
There are definitely diverse causes of the killing of opposition political leaders that vary greatly depending on political grounds. But some common reasons include the intention to eliminate threats to the ruling party’s power, a desire to maintain power and suppress dissent and personal vendettas of the regime against specific individuals. Among others, a lack of political tolerance, the intention to instill fear in the population and the desire to maintain control over resources play crucial roles. The killing of Benigno Aquino Jr. was to silence opposition and maintain control over the population. But diverse causes including a lack of rule of law often facilitate the killing of prominent opposition political leaders.
It is desired that such sorts of killing be ended. But it is a difficult political problem in the world. There are multifaceted and complex causes of the difficulty in ending the killing of prominent opposition political leaders by the government. Power struggles and strong authoritarian regimes hinder efforts to bring an end to such killings. Among others, there is a lack of justice against such killings. It often turns out to be difficult to thoroughly investigate such killing crimes and hold those responsible accountable many times — driven by diverse causes including the lack of accountability within government institutions and external influences from other countries supporting oppressive regimes.
But efforts need to be strengthened to end such sorts of political killings in different countries. Establishing the rule of law and promoting a culture of tolerance to opposition leaders and their criticisms are definitely crucial steps to the killing of not only prominent leaders but also other opposition leaders. International steps may help address human rights violations and protect political dissenters including prominent leaders in different countries, reducing the chance of such killings. Among others, promoting dialogue and peaceful resolution of political conflicts or problems may help address the underlying issues that may help reduce the killing of opposition leaders.
Amir M Sayem
Chief Editor
Dhaka Opinion Magazine
