Sat 23 Aug 2008
http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=51375
If the Election Commission (EC) sticks to its plans to hold the general election in December and announce the schedule towards the end of October or early November, the ordinance will mean an end to political ambition of many former government and non-government officials.
In the event of removal or dismissal or compulsory retirement, a former government official aspiring to public office will have to wait for five years since the termination of job.
The restrictions come in the wake of allegations that some bureaucrats in the past had exploited their position to lay the groundwork for their bid to stand in parliamentary polls after retirement.
Those who retired from public or defence services from the start of 2006 onwards will not be able to be elected as president due to a combination of the new provisions and the constitution.
According to the constitution, the persons ineligible to be a lawmaker shall not be qualified to vie for presidency as well.
So what’s the exit plan now?
August 23rd, 2008 at 3:26 pm
Sets of rules for nomination, qualification and performance are absolutely critical for setting up the foundation for governance.
Politicians in BD dont want any rules.
They complain that this RPO will “control politicians” and they dont want any control. What does that mean? They want uncontrolled political playing field, where nobody knows what politicians do in Bangladesh.
They are resisting this RPO, because they want freedom of corruption, freedom of job performance, and freedom of abuse.
In USA, even the White House has meticulous records and control of who enters which room at what time, who called who, and every email is recorded. Every department, every politician is constantly under scrutiny of their activities. That is how transparency and anti-corruption are controlled.
And in Bangladesh, even after hundreds of politicians have confessed their own corruption - it is about time that PEOPLE learn how to MONITOR, control and EXPOSE every single move of each and every politician. After all, the entire nation’s economy, revenue, industry and income of 154m people are dependant on the performance of politicians.
The first step is to create rules like this RPO to reduce the abuse, emebezzlement and destruction of the potential of Bangladesh.
Any resistance from politicians (election first, elctions in Oct, local before national and all that junk) against RPO, are nothing but DISTRACTION to avoid these rules.
This ctg MUST give 300% priority to setting up this RPO before elections.
August 23rd, 2008 at 8:55 pm
Below is another complain against RPO, which is unfortunate because it shows ignorance why the politcal system is shambles in BD today.
People must disagree with this editorial below, which sympathises with political parties for having to go thru such “hardship” of following electoral laws! Eeeesh, so much hardship! - make party constitution, select officers, nominate qualifiable people, eliminate thieves, disqualify cadres - this is too much work?!
And it says EC should just forget all rules and restrictions, and just get on with elections. Just do an election, and dont make things complicated. Really! Isn’t that why our civilian governance has come to this 1/11 disgrace after 3 decades?
Just do an election, and dont make any rules?? Good grief!!
http://www.newagebd.com/2008/aug/24/edit.html
August 24th, 2008 at 12:13 am
As far as I can tell from the DS article, the RPO regulates the Parliamentary election, and only the Parliamentary election. A non-MP can be elected President, such as Shahabuddin Ahmed in 1996.
August 24th, 2008 at 2:47 am
KGazi, I am afraid you give the US too much credit. A little Googling will reveal that White House records are not as meticulously kept as you imagine. And an understanding of “executive privilege” will destroy any notion of “scrutiny of their activities” that you might have about the American president
The way to control corruption is not to create a police state and monitor “everything” as you seem to be advocating. Commonsense ethics rules that balance privacy against transparency are what need to be put in place. You want to encourage good behavior and punish bad behavior in public servants - you dont want to make public service some sort of prison sentence. The latter is one sure way to create more corruption.
While I am all for denying the coup leader his day of basking in glory as a “President”, the Election Commission has to be careful here about implementing rules that sound great for the present circumstance but cause damage in the long term.
It seems to me that the problem is not who runs, but more how they run for office, and then how they govern. This kind of rule will do little or nothing to tackle corruption. All it will do is arbitrarily ban public servants from running for office. Big money will still rule.
August 24th, 2008 at 8:08 am
Tacit,
I think the article says that if you are not elligible to run for MP election, you are not elligibile to run for Presidential election. The new rule makes all army officers and civil service officers who retired after jan 2006 inelligible to run in this election which extends to presidential election as well.
August 24th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
Mash, the White House has 100’s of officers employed in it, not just the President, and although Pres may have ‘exec privelege’, others dont. Senator and other pols dont. Of course, that privilege has been abused by Bush too.
But is that unique privelege of US Pres a good reason to give ALL politician in BD exec immunity?
Results of that abuse is living proof of Bangladesh today. Conclusively, BD should never dream of giving exec privelege to PM’s or Presidents either - SH and KZ have clearly shown us why.
August 25th, 2008 at 2:12 pm
Many issues discussed on political REFORM have reflected in the RPO, which could be a major achievement of this CTG, in the form of REFORMS.
There will be major anti-corruption benefits: Party registration, nomination criteria, candidate transparency, loan defaulters, war criminals, which previously added to the chaos, anarchy and corruption in politics.
To reduce corruption - the more monitored and controlled political system and politicians, the better.
Preventing crime and corruption by monitoring and control does nor create a ‘police state’ - it creates a transparent state, which is far superior than being a CRIMINAL STATE.
http://www.bdnews24.com/details.php?cid=2&id=59112
August 25th, 2008 at 6:38 pm
Isn’t this a good thing?
August 27th, 2008 at 5:02 am
KGazi, I wasnt talking about “immunity”. I was just questioning your maximalist approach to fixing problems in public service in Bangladesh. As you may have gathered from my previous writings, I am a strong proponent of accountability, but not a big fan of fascism and other forms of maximalism
As you well know, I am not a fan at all of this current unaccountable military regime in Bangladesh.
And regarding executive privilege in the United States, you are ill-informed. Executive privilege can extend to any member of the Executive Branch if the President chooses to assert it, as many Presidents have done including not just Bush but also Bill Clinton. Many White House staffers have hidden behind executive privilege.
As an example of lack of transparency in the US, take the recent case trying to get Dick Cheney to disclose which energy companies he met with to form US energy policy. The case was thrown out of court even without a ruling on executive privilege. They couldnt even get the names of the people who attended these meetings. See here.
Now, how is that for accountability in the US? The grass isnt as green on this side of the pond as you had laid out.
August 27th, 2008 at 5:20 am
Mash, I think you misread Kgazi message, what i understood is “RPO will do good for the nation as a whole” yes you can point some negatives but bottom line is this will put some accountibility and scrutiny in your already spoiled political culture, may be USA does not have things the way Kgazi mentioned, but there are something like this and its doing good in their politics, dont you agree, then why argue? look you have already confused lazaru89 and he wants to know whether it is good? they way our politicians want to do politics is like what we did in school life game “Jamon Khushi Tamon Shajo” if EC does not implement rules then who else, from whom you expect rules will come? cant you see, same old jackels are in the surface?
August 27th, 2008 at 5:25 pm
Are you kidding? They will enact another RPO anytime to reverse it. That’s the strength of an unelected, illegitimate junta.
Have you counted how many unconstitutional ordinances they have put into effect since coming to power? The game will go on and on till the lifeline extended to them by the EU, UN, WB, IMF, US and UK last.
August 27th, 2008 at 7:21 pm
Emran, thanks for your valuable description of my point of view.
Mash, I neither support fascism, govt oppression, nor am I saying US system is perfect. But I don’t want to divert into USA details to distract from our desperate need for immediate change. If US exec privilege has failed by abuse, then we need to eliminate that privilege from OUR system – but borrow all the other effective features into our system, so that we can emulate a shining working governance.
By “maximalist” if you mean prescribing radical and immediate change in Bangladesh governance, then you’re right – I am absolutely being a “maximalist”. Bangladesh cannot go on acting like a LAWLESS nation for too long, continuing our misunderstanding of ‘freedom’ to be lawlessness with total freedom of crime, corruption and ineffective govt negligence, maintained for the sake of dynasty longevity.
The sole purpose of govt is to CONTROL, and in Bangladesh the word “control” has politically become synonymous with “oppression” leaving successive govts to address NO CONTROL whatsoever on any system – resulting in a nation that is beyond control !!!
That approach of Bangladesh (and maybe yourself too) is known as the “laissez-faire” approach, believing that government should intervene as little as possible in the direction of economic affairs, public service, law and order, anti-corruption, trade regulation, student crime, political hartal boycott and oborodh. Emran calls it the “Jamon Khushi Tamon Shajo” approach. I will add to call it “Allah’r Wastey Approach” - the approach of governance, which leaves everything upon Allah to run the nation, while politicians loot national revenue with Ghee in their nostrils (nakey ghee diye desh chalay)!!
Deshta Allah’r wastey choluk – eitai to shadhinota! Amaderke British, Pak and military onek oppress kore geche – ekhon amader jatiyo shadhinota Allahr Wastey choluk. Amra ekhon shadhin!!
The crux of that laissez-faire Allah’r-wastey approach is a theory that everything will fix by itself – give people the freedom of unbridled, undisciplined existence, incl crime and corruption - and the system will automatically evolve with minimum interference, and one day it will fix itself to become a modern developed nation!! shall we call it the “laissez-faire, Allah’r-wastey, minimalist approach”?
Well, that minimalist approach has taken Bangladesh into a downward spiral of failure, in every public sector since 1971 and 1996. Traffic, education, health, transport, power, infrastructure, trade, housing, governance – you name it. The laissez-faire Allah’r-wastey minimalist approach is a disaster in Bangladesh that needs to be overhauled (radically remodeled) urgently.
India, China, Dubai and Malaysia have begun to understand the approach of modern nations – that of MAXIMUM discipline and involvement in national affairs, by public control and regulation of people politics and systems, to maximize growth and development. Bangladesh desperately needs such radical and immediate (maximalist?) policies, in order to reverse from the old, failed-state, laissez-faire, Allah’r-wastey approach, which many are still lingering to, probably fearing that their “freedom” will disappear. Freedom of what? Fraudulent free-falling failure and frustration?
Like hundreds of other regulations by this army/CTG, this RPO should have been done years ago by politicians, but sure they didn’t. If ARMY is running this govt, then they have demonstrated more knowledge of democracy than our politicians ever did!!
August 30th, 2008 at 8:29 pm
Gazi
Excellent lesson you learn
“If ARMY is running this govt, then they have demonstrated more knowledge of democracy than our politicians ever did!!”
Ans: I support your such blanket comment . Because this is the actual knowledge of our so called leaders of civil society on democracy. why are you be exception?
August 31st, 2008 at 5:38 pm
#13 - attacking ME will not make any difference to Bangladesh future.
If you have any comments why our wonderful politicians never updated the RPO,
- or how they will reform Bangladesh after Dec’08
- or what they have learn from past 2 years
- or how they will ban hartal etc
then say it here.
September 1st, 2008 at 9:02 am
Wonderful Gazi . Same question to you?
How will you reform the Bangladesh by kicking out politicians from main stream?
In Last two years we have watched how Root less , Ground less Parties like PDP born.
we learn also with out Hartal what is the condition of price and Value Index.
So much reform , so much tall talk . But end of the day all political leaders have come as Mayors in City Corporation election. Now This Govt has a mission to hijack the party post of those winners. It seems very next day this Govt will make Nijami and Mujahid Suited &booted and clean shaven to project them as secular.
Gazi, Just come out of paranoid. I don’t know how long our elite editors or Hosts will teach the people of country lesson of right and wrong.
Please leave the people of Country alone.
September 1st, 2008 at 12:00 pm
J2I
Apanr message dekhe amused holam. Banglai ekta kotha ache, “Ichcha thakiley Upai Hoy”. Onner upore blame chapiye kono luv hobena. Apnader moto lokra jara abroad ashe shudhu AL and BNP raajniti niye thaken, Kajer Kaj kichuito korte parchen bole-to mone hoyna. Ek kaj korle kmon hoy!! Ashun amora Je jekhanei achi, shei jaigtakeo BD er moto baniye feli hartal, oborodh, maramari, lootpaat, dhandabaji etc. BD style political democracy shob jaigai promote korle shukhe shantite boshobaash kora jabe. Joy Bangla Joy BongoBondhu, Bangadesh Jindabader spporterder shuvo kamonai…
September 1st, 2008 at 5:15 pm
A most famous Ex-Minister said 2 years ago:
Ha Ha Ha.
“How will I run my ministry if I fire all my corrupt employees. I know ALL of them are corrupt, but can I fire ALL of them?”
Please forgive my laughter, but your response #15 reminds me of the same comedy of our politicians.
A good answer would be -
“yes sir, please fire yourself first, and then your employees will learn one good lesson! If not, we will fire YOU, because YOU are a FAILURE. After that we will employ a new minister who can teach all of them another good lesson!”
You cannot “leave the people alone” as you prescribe, when corruption is their end-game. You will only end up with a Third World Country like Bangladesh of pre 1/11!
Is that what people want? NO.
September 1st, 2008 at 9:50 pm
So what’s the solution? To Support some Anti Human right, Anti democracy, Anti freedom of speech and pro fascist force? Well Please note that My personal opinion is that
” post 1/11 is the biggest mockery of democracy in the history of the
Bangladesh.”
Government should be of the people , for the people and by the people. But this particular is not people’s Government.It is the fact.
while I see my Indian colleagues, they don’t need to speak even any single issue of politics because they know they have politicians like Somnath Chatterjee in one hand and on the other hand they have people like Shibu Shoren and phoolon Devi. all of them shares the same space of the parliament. Does professor Amorto Sen or CV Ramon Came on NDTV or CNN IBN to protest against Shibu Shoren?
Is excellent growth rate of Ahmadabad, Bangalore, Pune or Chennai effected?
Or did they start to do flattery to their Army Chief?
These Indian boys know that if they even go back to their home town a handsome Salary structure is waiting for them.
Because they know There is not only Vodafone or Hutchinson but also TCS, Infosys or Reliance to back them.
But In our country we will teach the people of country the lesson of democracy infinitive period of time. In fact I don’t know why I am writing those. I feel even making comments is also wastage of time. Last 2 years I myself did so much passionate work. But Result is bi zero.
But Gazi one thing I can say even in a corrupt society more democracy is needed to get a better livelihood . India is the biggest instance of that.
September 2nd, 2008 at 12:04 am
When you throw a bunch of unruly mastans into an election of a lawless political system, you dont get ‘democracy’. You get govt of the politician, for the politicians, by the POLITICIANS.
Thats what you have in pre-1/11 Bangladesh and in Pakistan today. Unlike India, Pak and BD never established the ground-rules of ‘democracy’ - they just threw some mastan activists labelled as “politicians” into the UNRULY arena, and called it ‘democracy’. And result of that is clear today.
The solution is very simple:
You set up rules for parties, politicians, funds, accounts, nomination criteria, anti-corruption, anti-hartal, anti-mastani, anti-cadre and disciplinary regulations - THEN the system will evolve into a ‘People’s democracy’.
And THOSE RULES are what we are seeing today after 37 years of Bangladesh. Those rules are this RPO!
If the RPO is followed seriously, THEN we will see the govt resembling ‘PEOPLE’s democracy’ not ‘politicians’ democracy’ !
September 2nd, 2008 at 6:51 am
Gazi I gave you the Instance of Somnath Chatterjee and Shibu Shoren. In one side there is constitutional scholar and one of the best parliamentarians & Speaker of the history , on the other hand accused for Corruption charge Shibu Shoren. But one common point both
of them are elected by the public. This is the beauty of democracy.
Now I am coming to your this statement
“Thats what you have in pre-1/11 Bangladesh and in Pakistan today. Unlike India, Pak and BD never established the ground-rules of ‘democracy’ - they just threw some mastan activists labelled as “politicians” into the UNRULY arena, and called it ‘democracy’. And result of that is clear today.”
Ans : Is Post 1/11 better? In Pree 1/11 you did have Freedom of press. At least you could write Just ask your self what is the current condition? Tasneem, Akash , Arif are the biggest example of post 1/11.
Gazi, If you want to blame some one first do it to our so called non political Vampire Generals who have established this bloody hooligan Culture in the Bangladesh by murdering founder father of the country.They have Created the Instance
” Do all sorts of atrocity ,you will be not punished but rewarded.”
Did Bhashani, BongoBondhu , Comrade Moni Shing start this Hooligan Culture? or Non Political Generals? But sorry to say that after 90 while our child democracy Started to be developed , It has been killed in Nip in the bud.
The way you people are preconceiving is nothing but the suicidal for the country.
If our Civil Society leaders start to do politics they will be never called Civil Society. Because they also need to meet some uncivilized people. It is very easy to be Civilized leader but very tough to be
a political leader.
Other wise we will be crying for Honest candidate and Check &Balance on the administration infinitive period of time.
September 2nd, 2008 at 6:44 pm
#20. Oh my god!!!!These people will never care a dime about people.All they care is about political game. general,bonghobondhu,zia,71,bangalai,bangladeshi.
Not a dime, they care about the girl, that lost didn’t have operation and died last night, the man who tied himself to an airplane wheels to give himself an opportunity to earn a living.
They live,eat,die with these politics, while hopes of a million dies silently.
Since the military government enacted the RPO, anything good here is irrelavant to them. And, if you like those good proposals you are supporter of military and jolpai.
Ohh my god.Oh my god.. Why am i wasting time here. These people rule this country and wil l rule the country. And, we would have 80 million people living half hungry everyday. Does not matter. Lets just keep on living the life, I have received by virtue of my birth.
Nothing will change and people like this will never have shame, never have capacity to think and we will remain what we are.
why am I wasting time here.
KGazi.do your job properly and stop wasting your office time commenting on forums.You have no chance against these people.
September 2nd, 2008 at 7:17 pm
#20,
1) Nominating a corrupt accused murderer (google) like Shibu Soren/India for election is not “the beauty of democracy” - thats a TOTAL FAILURE of electoral regulation and law.
No nation should have to choose an accused criminal/ex-convict (eg Ershad) as candidate for ‘democracy’. That is why the RPO needs to be setup to prevent such disasters, and eliminate corrupt criminals from elections.
2) Yes, post 1/11 will be far better, IF the RPO is properly established, to maintain electoral ground rules for People’s democracy (not Mastan’s democracy).
3) So if you agree politicians are “uncivilized” (not Civil Society) then you must agree they are the ones to run the Hooligan Culture.
You need 3 things to make politicians civilized - RPO RPO RPO.
September 2nd, 2008 at 8:02 pm
I have wondered how come some people become so blind, living side by side of so many poor people in this country and fail to see immeasurable suffering and pain and hopelessness these KZ and SH brought to this country. Yes, the politicians that raped this country can act blind because they are the direct beneficiaries. But how come thousands of people who live a normal life, can be blind to their atrocities and looting of government property and hopes and aspirations of 150 million people ?
Then I remind myself, I have seen so many nice, peace loving rational Jews being unapologetic about occupying Palestine and killing Palestine kids.
Before attacking Iraq whole American state was in denial that, they are actually invading a country and killing innocent people there.
Now, I am not surprised by seeing people who staunchly believe the country was in safe hands pre 1/11. And they should be protected by all means.
Sometimes, dogma and creed becomes so strong that, people becomes blind. They lose their ability to judge case by case and judge everything through ideologies.
September 3rd, 2008 at 3:26 am
If Gen. Moeen has 1/2 the intelligence he pretends to have, he should have no ambitions whatsoever to become the next president of Bangladesh!
What better example than Musharraf in Pakistan….?
September 3rd, 2008 at 4:21 am
Oni you are right. 150 million people of this country has become blind, y not? ignorance is blindness, and most of the people are uneducated, they have been provided with a political coin which is imprinted AL in one side and BNP on the other, so they have no choice. Making a third platform has become a fool’s dream, why not? our so called saviors tried it with people like qoreshi,sadek siddiqi,ibrahim and several 3rd/4th graded political losers who never had any credibility, i found some hope when younus decided to give some breath in the politics, but i found that the same 150 million people (this time they were foolish) has already been brain washed by the same AL/BNP coin that this guy is the worst enemy of this country, i talked to people in street,shop,to riksawpuller to see how they perceive younus and found that they think this guy who got noble prize is selling this country to foreigners, anyway what hope do we have in future, i dont know, may be the saints who are getting bail because of our free (free to do anything,everything) judiciary everyday know it and let us know again how good they are for this country.
September 5th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
“150 million people has become blind, brain washed” - only you get it!! Only select few and chosen generals deservedly understood what is good for the ignorant, blind people. Even if we did not understand how a Nobel Prize entitles someone to be a great political leader, you nailed it down. Hence shove your rules in my throat.
Yes, we need rules of the game and the rules have to be determined in a transparent manner with inclusiveness, if you really want to take out the bad elements. It is hard to accept anything on the face value, coming from the people who invented “doctrine of necessity” and timely apologized as wind changing its direction rapidly.
If anyone claims Bangladeshi politicians are saints and prophets – they are insane. On the other hand those who believe some strong arm saviors and bunch of BS rules will change social dynamics are at best delusional, at worst fascist.
Shivu Soren is a sad incident. Just live with it, until you have majority or you can create enough popular pressure to change the laws of the land. Democracy has its weakness’, unfortunately, that is the best game in the town. Otherwise “Oni” will dictate not only Bangladeshis, but also Jews, Americans what to believe and how to think.
September 5th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
I would restate my stance regarding Shivu Soren in comment #26, where I said “just live with it”. It should be engaged with all your strength to expose the weakness of the system, convince the voters, nourish and support the better candidate and pressure the party which nominates criminals.
September 5th, 2008 at 7:00 pm
SC #27, I am glad you revised your “just live with it” stance - it would invite a barrage of complaints. I was getting ready to lambast it.
No nation should ever permit people like Ershad, Asif Zardari or Shiv Soren as “politicians” to uphold democracy. They should be disqualified forever from politics, right from the very day they are found abusing the power which we people entrusted them in their fraudulent promise of democracy.
We must be careful that in our dream for democracy, we dont get so intoxicated that we cannot differentiate from right and wrong.
Oni #21, we cannot give up against misconceptions that our people have about “democracy”. We must “expose the weakness of the system” and correct them, so that fallacies dont distort our nation.
I try never to post during work, but like this post, I contribute my lunch and spare-time for this.
September 6th, 2008 at 5:14 am
Kgazi #28, I beat you in typing speed and saved myself from your wrath. Even though I have huge difference with your way of achieving the dream, I am in agreement with the dream. So, every now and then you (I) will come down on me (you) heavily, that is acceptable.
September 6th, 2008 at 8:14 am
Gazi-
“we cannot give up against misconceptions that our people have about “democracy”. We must “expose the weakness of the system” and correct them, so that fallacies dont distort our nation”.
Ans: who will make it correct? You or Us who are the big supporter of Undemocratic force like Army Junta?
Do you know even to find the fault of democracy, you have to have democratic environment and Freedom speech is one of the most important parameters of this system.
Is it not funny that you want to do it by SOE where there is no scope of expressing the opinion.
The Shibu Sorens are elected in India but very next day people like Soren needs to resign from coal ministry as well.
This is called Correction in proper manners. It is not like the Anti Corruption drive of Bangladesh and we all are watching
what is the final out put of anti corruption.
September 6th, 2008 at 10:23 pm
Journey2 Infinitive,
How can you give example of India to underscore merits of democracy. Shibu Sorens, there, get replaced by another bunch of the ilk. Otherwise, how can Jayalalithas and Mayavatis come back, with renewed vengeance, winning elections? How, can Mayavati dream of becoming PM, being the leader of the third biggest political front? Do you know she has already placed 5 statues of her own in her state after becoming the CM? You know Booker-winning Arundhati Roy snubbed the Indian ‘democracy’ as ‘the biggest PR myth of all times’ for its bankruptcy, even after some 60 years of ‘elected’ rule?
ahbabaziz@yahoo.com
September 6th, 2008 at 10:47 pm
Journey #30,
This weeks news says it all:
1) “Shibu Soren…sworn-in as the state’s chief minister for second time” last week - India
2) Zardari selected President today - Pak
3)”heavyweight politicians detained on corruption charges have walked to freedom” -
4) “Professionals reject RPO”
http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2008/09/07/news0872
Final outcome of anti-corruption is that people will “express their opinion” with Hartal, oborodh and mastani. Freedom of speech will continue with boycott. SOE will be lifted to continue mastani and gundami in the streets, to exercise democratic environment!!
By popular demand, corruption has been re-instated - politicians have been awarded Judiciary MEDALS for their victory in corrruption. People have chosen corruption as the best national priority, and have chosen govt of the Mastans, for the Mastans, and by the Mastans (politicians).
And so the “DEMOCRATIC Forces” have won, because all this will be done for one purpose only - to have ELECTIONS Dec’08 - in order to meet the demand of AL-BNP, the DEMAND that everything must return EXACTLY to PRE 1/11 situation, otherwise no elections!
NOW Country will return to instant “democracy” !!
September 7th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
Aziz,
Arundhati Roy can able to snub democracy because of democratic environment. Any way
I have no wish to explain you the democratic
environment which is out of your reach. Mayavati, Jaylalita are the part of same system. Major part of the community thinks them as their own people. India’s recent progress is just because of their practice of old democracy. You know what is the biggest recognition of India? ” THE BIGGEST DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY IN THE WORLD .”
Mayawati or Shibu Soren are very small part of this democracy.
Because of that reason they got a Speaker like Somnath Chatterjee, Election commissioner like TN Seshan or Visionary like Rajiv Gandhi.
It is great that a Dalit leader like Mayawati also can dream to be the PM.
Just Remember one common point we people are not there to punish politicians . Judiciary is there to do this thing.
India is following exactly the same path.
September 8th, 2008 at 2:40 am
Journey2 Infinitive,
1. If Arundhati Roy can snub the Indian ‘democracy’ because of India’s ‘democratic environment’, isn’t Bangladesh also as ‘democratic’ as India?
2. If India has really progressed, why one-third of the world’s poor live in the country?
3. Mayawati, being a ‘dalit’, can dream to be the PM as she is very much a part of the corrupt political system, without a ‘level playing field’, masquerading as ‘democracy’.
4. In democracy not only Judiciary, but people also can punish politicians by ousting them from office, exercising their franchise.
5. If Mayawatis and Shibu Sorens are small part of the Indian ‘democracy’, why India is still so poor even after some 60 years of ‘elected’ rule?
ahbabaziz@yahoo.com
September 8th, 2008 at 6:50 am
Journey #33
Judiciary are cheap in BD, Pak India, they are swayed by politicians’ bribery and party politics.
When we all know Shibu Soren, Zardari and Ershad are guilty of crime and corruption, then, should we NOT protest when govt supports them? Who will challenge the judiciary for accepting corrupt politicians?
Hint:
1) we people must protest to get them out
2) other parts of govt should challenge judiciary, politicians, etc, (checks n balance)
3) laws of IMPEACHMENT to fire them
4) laws of nomination criteria (BEFORE election)
5) ethics policy inside govt
6) Judiciary laws to summon corruption
7) all of the above
You cannot just ADMIRE their election victory, or just live with it, and say “WOW, they are my hero, they look SAFER than army or Musharraf, or whatever”.
If we want REAL democracy, then make sure we dont get cheated by 420 snake-oil dealers, whom we call “politicians”. Set up rules (RPO) to filter bad ones out.
————
Ahbab #34 - great points. (Though BD judiciary much worse than India).