Debate on Caretaker government system of Bangladesh

Razu Ahmed August 21, 2009

A political debate on Caretaker government system of Bangladesh is ongoing among the politicians. The rolling party Awami League (AL) general-secretary Syed Ashraful Islam said on Tuesday that the caretaker government ‘experiment’ had failed, and a national debate should decide whether or not to continue with the system. Before that Deputy leader of parliament Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury had called the parliament members to abolish the caretaker government system on June 28 during the budget session of parliament.

AL MP Suranjit SenGupta also advocated the repeal of the system.

Later the main opposition party Bangladesh nationalist party (BNP)react that and said, “Awami league want to capture the power again by the election manipulation.”

on the other hand But an adviser to the prime minister said on Friday that the government is not considering the cancellation of the caretaker government system at the moment though some ruling Awami League leaders have been speaking for it.

“The government has made no decision on the abolition of the caretaker government system,” Alauddin Ahmed, who advises Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on education, social development and politics, he said in New York on Thursday.
Awami league GS said the time had come to rethink the interim government system, and all those involved in the electoral process should debate the issue.

“Let the Election Commission consider the opinion of all the political parties on the matter,” said Ashraf, the local government minister..
He criticized the caretaker governments of 1991, 2001 and 2006; although he conceded that the AL had called on a caretaker government to assume power at the end of the last BNP-led administration.

On the other hand the Chief election commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda recently said it was possible to hold free-and-fair elections under a political government. AL leaders proposed to the Election Commission to consider the opinion of all the political parties on the matter.
BNP secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain criticised Syed Ashraf for his comments over caretaker government on Wednesday.
Delwar said the AL-led Grand Alliance government was intent on doing away with the caretaker government system since it wanted to control the next elections.
Chief election commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda on Aug 12 said the caretaker government system was for political parties to decide and the EC's main concern was the security of the voters.
The other election commissioners told on Thursday that the EC was unwilling to discuss the issue of whether the caretaker government system should remain during the planned upcoming dialogue with political parties.
A national debate should decide whether or not to continue with the system. But it would not be on the Election Commission's agenda, they added.
The system was introduced after the political unrest in 1991. The AL strongly advocated the system at that time, while a reluctant BNP eventually conceded to the proposal.
The two main political parties have reversed their role on the issue.