Legal binding, state funding
sought for political parties
'Unity of politicians a must to make JS effective'

Staff Correspondent
05 June, 2003

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United efforts by political parties are a must to make the parliament effective and ensure proper functioning of democracy. Speakers said this while discussing the draft Task Force Report on Democratic Process: Election and Parliamentary at a working session of the National Policy Review Forum 2003 in the city yesterday.

Co-organised by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), The Daily Star and The Prothom Alo, the session was held at the Academy for Planning and Development. On democratic process, the speakers said fund raising by political parties must be regulated and a scheme of state funding of political parties should be introduced.

All political parties participating in elections must be brought under a legal framework through registration so as to make them internally democratic and externally accountable, they felt. The speakers suggested framing a more rigid and meaningful code of conduct for political parties to strengthen the electoral process. Election expenses of candidates should have a ceiling but at the same time be enhanced to make those more realistic, they stressed.

Besides, a person convicted for a crime and jailed for at least six months should be disqualified from contesting polls, they thought. Renowned lawyer and constitutional expert Dr Kamal Hossain said ministers have been violating the constitution. "If the parliament is not answerable to the people, that is the government is not answerable to the parliament, then you are violating the constitution from morning to evening. This is the crisis of governance -- no one is answerable to anyone. And people are frustrated and losing faith in us."

He went on, "All political parties must unite and come to a consensus to create an environment for good governance and make the parliamentary system effective. But sadly we notice that our politicians are debating over fake issues. People are hostage to such debates on who proclaimed the independence of Bangladesh. Interestingly, even some leaders have expressed frustration over such debates. Imagine how the people feel!"

Kamal Hossain observed, "We would not feel helpless only if we all unite against money and muscle power. "Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan said, " Our political leaders have to first change their mindset. It is very sad that often politicians avoid social encounters and that political environment is worsening." Khan said, "Unless the politicians change their mindset, I doubt if we can overcome the current crisis in democracy by formulating laws. We can formulate laws but we have to make behavioural changes to make democracy work. We must be liberal and come out of the existing parliamentary practice, which is taking our people nowhere."

The foreign minister said people are fed up with issues that are discussed in the parliament. They now want to know what is their future. He said, "We must unite to make the parliament effective. Unless we do this, we cannot expect the parliament to function properly even in future. Our present mindset would take us nowhere."

Khan added, "In fact, we are compelled to tell lies since the day we took oath. We spend many times what we are allowed to spend during election campaign. Do you think a candidate spends merely Tk 3 lakh? Let us work together and create an environment for making the parliament more effective." Chairman of the CPD Prof Rehman Sobhan chaired the session. The others who spoke are Abul Ahsan, chairperson of the Fair Election Monitoring Alliance, and Feroz M Hasan, secretary general of the organisation.