Democracy in doldrums
Roney, On e-mail
Democracy and highhandedness can't go together. We saw police excesses in the past that were rather shocking. And the recent police brutalities unleashed on opposition activists make us, the common people, appalled at how the demand for reform to the caretaker government and the Election Commission isn't considered but confronted. Since the very beginning, the CEC is totally insensitive to any complaints from outside. His obstinacy was evident in his unilateral preparing of a fresh voter list. The Supreme Court verdict which declared the voter list illegal did not have any impact on the CEC. Now, not surprisingly, anomalies are being found in the corrected voter list. Free and fair election will not be possible under this CEC with such stubbornness. Former dictator Ershad is again in the limelight as he is coming out acquitted in many cases, smiling and waving at people. People cannot forget how he dealt with the movement for democracy which resulted in the deaths of Dr. Milon, Nur Hussein and many others. Now he is dreaming of becoming president once again. We don't understand how he has become acceptable to the forces calling themselves democratic. This is where those who cried out for democracy in the eighties certainly feel betrayed and sniff an illicit deal. If an amendment can be brought to the constitution then why rigidity of existing electoral and caretaker system is considered so sacred that a change can't be brought about? The government seems unconcerned. It has no headache about popular demands.
| 
