CG has not always worked neutrally

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US Ambassador in Dhaka Patricia A Butenis yesterday said the caretaker government (CG) of President Iajuddin Ahmed has not always worked neutrally, meaning sufferings to the nation.

She stressed that the chief adviser (CA) to the CG must listen to his advisers and lead them as a team through the elections.

Calling on the political parties to open new talks to bridge the gap between them, Butenis said CA Iajuddin must play a direct and neutral role in this effort.

She was delivering a keynote speech at a seminar on ‘Democracy and Bangladesh’.

Bangladesh Association for American Studies (BAAS) organised the seminar in cooperation with the American Centre in Dhaka. Held at the Cirdap auditorium in the capital, it was chaired by BAAS President Dr AKM Nurun Nabi.

In her address titled ‘Election: The Road Ahead’, the US envoy said credibility of the caretaker government depends on acting in ‘a visibly neutral and effective manner’.

She lauded the major political parties for what she said was flexibility on issues they once ‘insisted had no room for compromise’.

Describing all parties’ participation in the election as crucial, she said, “The people of Bangladesh deserve to have choices that reflect the diversity of opinion, philosophy, and even style that exists in this country’s politics.”

Issues relating to the election are fundamentally political and thus require political solutions, she observed.

The responsibility rests primarily on the political parties to do away with the remaining obstacles to full participation in a fair election, she added.

Mentioning public concern over accuracy of the voter roll, she said it is vital that the Election Commission continue to address and resolve the issue.

She said the US will keep urging flexibility and dialogue on all sides.

Butenis said it is important that “the political parties stop trying to manipulate the caretaker government and that the caretaker government actively resist such interference, whether the pressure comes from the streets or from behind the scenes.”

“The essence of caretaker government is impartiality. Whether it is the army, the state-run media, or the police, the credibility of the caretaker government depends on its acting in a visibly neutral and effective manner,” she added.

Referring to the sufferings that the people had experienced due to the caretaker government’s ‘not always conducting itself neutrally’, she said, “We hope that is behind us now.”

Reiterating the US stance against hartals and blockades, she called on all parties to pursue their political objectives through democratic practices, not on the streets.

“Students, business people, and ordinary people have all suffered because the political parties of this great country could not agree on the basic rules of the game,” she added.

“I am an optimist by nature and my observations reflect that optimism but my outlook on life is often severely challenged by your politics,” she remarked.

The US ambassador underlined the importance of “creating political parties that are genuinely democratic in practice and outlook, parties that focus on issues and national interest instead of personalities and perceptions of face, and parties that make decisions transparently and are accountable to their supporters and the people at large, not just as election time but between elections as well”.

She said the political parties should now commit themselves to work together in the next parliament, whether as the treasury bench or the loyal opposition, to advance the country’s economic, political, and social interests.

On growing controversy over the interim government system, she said, “The caretaker government remains the constitutionally provided mechanism for preparing Bangladesh for elections.”

“Any extra-constitutional arrangement imposed on the people of Bangladesh, such as military intervention, would not address the basic weaknesses afflicting the current political process, would likely lead to great turmoil and disappointment, and should be stoutly resisted,” Butenis said.

“The caretaker government system has worked well for the country in the past and served the nation best when the chief adviser worked closely with his advisers to try to broker a compromise electoral package,” she noted.

Terming resignation of the four CG advisers a great disappointment, she said they were sincere, capable, patriotic people and their contribution will be sorely missed.

She, however, hoped that the CA and his new team will redouble their efforts to create a positive electoral framework.

Saying that both the major political parties have accused her of supporting the other, she said, “We do not favour or oppose any party or group. In fact, we are confident that we can work effectively with the government regardless of which party wins the election.”

“It’s no secret that the United States Government takes a great interest in your upcoming election. And the reason is simple. Just about every issue that we care about that involves Bangladesh hinges on a successful election,” she said.

She said the US interest is focused on the electoral process, to be sure that it meets international standards of fair play and is consistent with Bangladesh’s laws and constitution.

She observed that election means one in which all parties participate, whose outcome is broadly accepted as legitimate and accurate, an election where violence and intimidation did not keep people from voting or expressing their opinions, an election where minorities were not singled out for persecution, and an election where the playing field was more or less even.

The upcoming election will be the most observed one in Bangladesh’s history with hundreds of foreign monitors blanketing the country besides tens of thousands of Bangladeshi ones.

Replying to a query, Butenis said this is an unusual situation with the president and the CA being the same person, which makes things difficult, UNB adds.

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