Political conflicts involve many problems in Bangladesh including the government system during elections. According to multiple sources including the British Broadcasting Corporation and Cable News Network, the problem of the government system during elections has led to electoral boycotts and clashes in Bangladesh several times. Though one group of political parties favors the party-in-power government system during elections, another group wants the non-party government system during elections. But the political problem has not yet been resolved. Hopefully saying, the interim government has taken reform initiatives, creating the scope of addressing this political problem with a more reasonable government system during elections that can help hold free, fair and credible elections without depriving any parties of their reasoned interests.
It is notable that Dhaka Opinion Magazine has published an article on contradictions over elections in Bangladesh and a possible electoral government. This publication/article proposed a government system during elections named the Electoral Government based on the synthesis of the contradictory thesis (the party-in-power government) and the anti-thesis (the non-party government) developed based on several criteria — the components of the analyzing framework — such as 1) the functioning of the government during elections, 2) the functioning of the Electoral Management Bodies during elections, 3) the capacity of the government to address foreign electoral intervention, 4) political participation and 5) political competition. The proposed Electoral Government, the synthesis of the opposite government systems, is comprised of a non-party Chief Advisor, a few political leaders of major parties as advisors (one-third), one-third of the non-party advisors (selected by the President in consultation with minor political parties) and another one-third of the non-party advisors selected by the Chief Advisor.
Optimistically saying, in the proposed system, compared to the party-in-power government, the non-party government and any government system formed by political leaders of all or many parties, the government and the Electoral Management Bodies are more likely to function neutrally, the government will deal with foreign electoral intervention more effectively and there is likely to be higher electoral participation with the people’s actual choice and fair electoral competition because of several reasons including its checks and balances. This proposed Electoral Government system will help create an enabling ground without suppressing any party, serve the reasoned interests of all, solve the political problem regarding the government system during elections and lead to free, fair and credible elections in Bangladesh.
It is desired that the political problem regarding the government system during elections be resolved. For this, the interim government needs to consider the proposed more reasonable Electoral Government in Bangladesh. If needed, a referendum can be arranged to take the people’s choice on the proposed electoral government, with or without another/a few other options. Notably, the people of Bangladesh were deprived of their votes many times — unacceptably. Given that the political problem regarding the government system during elections has not yet been resolved and is a complicated problem, people may help resolve it through a free, fair and credible referendum and justify the resolution of it.
Pertinently saying, resolving the political problem regarding the government system during elections is vital not only for securing the fair transfer of political authority, the political culture that is mostly absent in Bangladesh, but also for reducing political conflicts, generating cooperation among political parties on many grounds, securing good governance and bringing many other positive outcomes. The interim government is the right government to resolve the problem regarding the government during elections preferably through a free, fair and credible referendum. But the cooperation of other parties is vital and desirable.
Amir M Sayem
Chief Editor
Dhaka Opinion Magazine
