Several reform commissions submitted reform reports to the chief advisor of the interim government of Bangladesh — Noble Laureate Muhammad Yunus — last week. According to multiple sources including the Deccan Herald and Daily Star,the constitutional reform commission, led by Ali Riaz, proposed an interim government for elections that is comprised of a chief advisor and several advisors (not more than 15) for free, fair and credible elections, which are directly held by the Election Commission. This is a better option for free, fair and credible elections, a vital political problem for several decades, in Bangladesh. But it remains unclear whether and how much the proposed interim government will be able to hold free, fair and credible elections in Bangladesh.
There are various reasonable concerns with the proposed interim government. First, it may be unable to deal with foreign electoral intervention at an acceptable level that may be covert and overt and has a local link. The whole interim government may consequently work and realize the goal of one or multiple foreign actors by favoring any particular political party in elections. Secondly, it can be unable or unwilling to deal with the intervention of local actors — (including the interim government) — even if they may not have any linkage with foreign actors. Finally, it may suppress any political party. Notably, there are criticisms against the interim governments of Pakistan for favoring different parties during different elections with and without linkages with foreign actors.
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Pertinently saying, the rigorous process of appointing the chief advisor and other advisors (through the proposed National Constitutional Council), reforms in the election commission, public administration and other aspects and the representation of different political parties in the proposed Senate (but only if they remain in office during elections) will help reduce the chance of foreign electoral intervention and the suppression of any political party (especially the outgoing party), along with the party favored attitude of the interim government, to a certain extent. But the above possibilities are not unlikely at all because of various reasons including, but not limited to, the lack of desirable checks and balances in the interim government and the culture of manipulation of power in Bangladesh.
Foreign intervention, along with the unfair local electoral intervention and the suppression of any political party, may have far reaching impacts on politics, in addition to unfree and unfair elections. It may put hindrances to the development of politics and political parties as strong but democratic institutions, which can ultimately make the country weaker to foreign nations in the long run. It is thus desired that the government during elections be reformed with a more reasonable government that has better checks and balances — needed for desirable functioning, reducing the chance of the arbitrariness of power of it and free, fair and credible elections without suppressing any political party.
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In the absence of the state reforms, the electoral government, proposed in Dhaka Opinion Magazine, that is comprised of political leaders and non-party advisors is probably the most desirable. This is also suitable in the reformed background and will help hold free, fair and credible elections and promote a culture of cooperation among political parties in the long run. But in the reformed background, another electoral government that is comprised of a non-party chief advisor and a number of publicly acceptable non-political advisors (one-third of whom are preferred by major parties and two-thirds of whom by others) may also be more reasonable.
At least, the interim government for elections needs to include several publicly acceptable non-political advisors preferred by major political parties (who may be scrutinized and appointed by the National Constitutional Council). This will greatly help put checks and balances within the interim government, reduce the chance of foreign electoral intervention and the arbitrary use of its power against any political party and hold free, fair and credible elections without suppressing any political party.