Dhaka – It is becoming increasingly clear that it is not enough to simply plan state reforms and implement some of them before the next elections. To ensure that post-election momentum is not lost, the parties that ultimately control the implementation of reforms must credibly demonstrate that they can deliver the reforms as promised. However, there remains a huge trust deficit in this area, partly due to the experience we had with the reform movement under the previous caretaker government, which failed shortly after the 2008 Awami League elections that came to power. One way to prevent this from happening again is to ensure reform within our political parties.
The rationale is simple: if political parties cannot practice democracy in their internal activities and decision-making, how can they maintain democracy at the national level? A party that is based on the principles of accountability and transparency and consistent with its constitution is more likely to adhere to the national reform agenda. Without these qualities, parties, once elected to power, risk slipping back into the patterns of patronage, corruption and authoritarian tendencies that have long plagued Bengal.
Sadly, as a report in this newspaper reminds us once again, most political parties still operate as highly centralized entities with little regard for internal accountability or democratic practice. Our analysis of 25 parties shows that party constitutions promising regular leadership elections and grassroots-driven parliamentary nomination processes are often shelved. Party leaders also cling to power for years or even decades, relinquishing control only in cases of ill health, legal trouble, or death.
For example, Awami League's Sheikh Hasina has been the party president unopposed for 43 years, while Khaleda Zia of the BNP has been the party president for 40 years. Although almost all party constitutions provide for councils to be convened every three or four years to elect party members, in practice councils are rarely convened and have evolved into a mere formality of rubber-stamp decisions made by the party leader. Furthermore, although some parties have introduced term limits or other reforms, such provisions are rarely enforced. Reliance on dynastic politics further exacerbated these problems.
These practices hollow out the democratic nature of our political parties. In this case, party members who commit crimes or any violations of the code of conduct are another victim. Since the political change on August 5, we have seen many examples of unruly members and supporters of some political parties, especially the BNP, filling the void left by the Awami League’s collapse in various sectors, thereby perpetuating past acts of corruption. It is because of this trend that many have doubts about the continuity of the reform drive under political government, which is unfortunate given the enormous sacrifices that have been made to bring us this historic opportunity for change.
We urge political parties to rigorously review their internal practices and take corrective measures so that citizens have confidence in their ability and sincerity to sustain reform momentum after the elections. They must abide by their constitution, convene committees regularly, and make committees the real forum for electing leaders and formulating policy. They must lead the change they want to see in the state.
