Transferency and Accountability of funding political parties and election campaign in Bangladesh People throughout the world hold

Politicians and prevailing democratic systems with mistrust. Political Parties and democratic institutions failed to uphold integrity and transferency, widening corruption & crippling proper functioning of the states in all sectors. This is especially evident in Bangladesh where the issue is not in the primary agenda of the Political parties, Government or even the Public. Peoples freedom and development has not been in the focus of any Government for last 40 years after liberation. Politics is considered as a profit making investment and parties and candidates invest large funds to gain power and once in power they engage themselves fully in grabbing all profit making business of the state. Politics and business has almost become synonymous. Politics has turned out to be a game of wealthy parties like Awami League & Bangladesh Nationalist Party both of which are reluctant to allow a level playing ground to others and whichever is in power tries to keep hold on power by hooks and crooks. In 1990, a Caretaker Government was formed as an accepted solution to help transition for a regime change from authoritarianism to democracy and election was held under it on 27th February, 1991 and next election was also held under another caretaker Government on 15th February 1996. This system was constitutionalized in 1996 and election was held under another caretaker Government 1st October 2001. After dissolution of the 8th parliament of khaleda Zia, an election was scheduled for the end of 2006 under caretaker Government. However it did not take place as the government & election commission were accused of BNP bias by Hasina and her coalition, who launched nationwide protests causing the head of the caretaker government to resign in January 2007. A military protected caretaker government with World bank Economist Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed as chief executive was formed after the chaos that proceeded the 11th of January, 2007 (popularly known as 1/11).The government programmed a route map for a free and fair election with level playing ground for all parties and took up major reforms in the election system. The two years of of Fakhruddin Government were significant for change with respect to transparency in political and electoral financing in Bangladesh. Election Commission and the then caretaker government tried to bring the financing of political parties and their election expenses under state scrutiny and monitoring through a set of new laws and rules under the amended RPO and other relevant rules. Efforts have been made to make parties along with the candidates in elections more accountable to the state as well as to the citizens, through making registration of the political parties mandatory for taking part in the elections. In the election of 29th December 2008, Bangladesh experienced a democracy and adaption of a unique system of election which have never been witnessed in our past history. The system is designed to guarantee Transferency and Accountability of funding political parties and election campaign. Bangladesh model can serve as a guideline for preparing electoral system for any democratic country as it had been developed such historical and environmental backdrop as follows: 1 It is through enormous sacrifices and shedding of blood that the people of Bangladesh freed the country from clutches of dictators arising from its own defense forces and elitist bureaucrats both of which should be seriously considered as deterrent forces against Democracy and Human right. Since independence in 1971 till date, in last 40 years, we had only 15 years in our trial and exercise of democratic system against quarter century of rules by dictators. The prolonged period of dictatorial rule not only impacted our security, self-sustainability,

democracy and human right, it also destroyed peoples aspiration for turning a newly independent country into a modern state with a better life for all. 3 In early period of our experiment with democracy, we experienced that democratically elected ruling political party can also turn fascistic and tyrannical, exploitive, insensitive to human right and social justice, indifferent to legislative and ethical procedures for accountability and transferency. Ruling parties often maneuvered in alliance with anti-liberation forces to overstay their tenure forcibly and also aspired to turn the party and state into a hereditary legacy until people had to shed blood again to overthrow them. Democracy is a challenge to Poverty stricken people of third world countries as they fell easy prey to local and international vested interest that bias politically ignorant and under-conscious people in favor of a party of their choice for earning lucrative return from the party they support. A transition to democracy from the above stated situation finally resulted from a conspicuously fair and neutral poll conducted by a newly formed autonomous Election Commission held under a care taker Government on 29th December 2008. Caretaker Government & Election Commission (2006-08) brought in several updates in laws and rules in the RPO of 1972 constitution to make parties along with the candidates in elections more accountable to the state as well as to the citizens. To look ahead for something better, legislators and judicial bodies cannot ignore the proven success of last election under a caretaker government and an autonomous election commission. Further changes in RPO should follow proper review and evaluation of the following:  Code of Conduct: SRO # 269-Law/2008: Representation of the People Order, 1972; amended 24th Feb 2009  Election Rules: SRO # 286-Law/2008: Representation of people order, 1972  Political Party Registration: SRO # 251-Law/2008: Representation of people order, 1972 Just within one year of liberation of the country, the constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh was enacted on 16 December and the law on THE REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE ORDER, 1972 [26TH DECEMBER, 1972] was passed under President's Order No. 155 of 1972. Such a unique achievement is rare in the History of Democracy. Restrictions on election expenses has been a salient feature which provided a level playing ground for all candidates rich or relatively poor. However, winning against threats to democracy is a global agenda and hindrances faced by most countries to achieving the goal for peace and international security, sustainable development, finance & trade, democracy and human right lie in the following factors: 1) In this era of globalization, above 45% of the world population live with income below 1 US$ which cannot meet their basic needs. In May 2002, the BBC aired a document

2)

3)

4)

5)

6)

7)

8)

related to inequality where they showed in detail how inequality turns democracies fragile and turn good people to evil or even terrorists. Dictators and other corrupt rulers have often been placed/ supported in power by the wealthier people/nations to help fulfill their own interest. Government of the people, by the people and for the people holds true only for a meager percentage of wealthy people and not for all people. United Nations Environment Program published Global Environment Outlook In October 2007: the report states the amount of resources needed to sustain human need exceeds what is available... humanitys footprint [its environmental demand] is 21.9 hectares per person while the Earths biological capacity is, on average, only 15.7 ha/person. Intervention of superpowers into other sovereign countries in the pretext of possible threat to homeland and global security, liberating people or instituting democracy has proved to be wasteful in resources and damaging to human property and life. IPU and UN should join to evaluate merits of such intervention and resolve such issues multilaterally. National security systems need to demilitarize to the level of a non-provocative defense posture, and convert military resources to peaceful purposes, including ecological restoration. Manufacturers and traders in small arms should be forced to limit production & supply of small arms and specially restrict them from reaching war lords engaged in genocidal activities in different countries. Nuclear, biological, and toxic weapons and other weapons of mass destruction must be eliminated & orbital and outer space supports should be used for environmental protection and peace. People today are taking to the streets by the millions to protest political, economic, and social conditions in the oppressive societies they inhabit. Governments have been toppled in Egypt and Tunisia. Protests have erupted in Libya, Yemen, and Bahrain. There are societies where a minuscule fraction of the populationless than 1 percent controls the lions share of the wealth; where wealth is a main determinant of power; where entrenched corruption of one sort or another is a way of life; and where the wealthiest often stand actively in the way of policies that would improve life for people in general.

Bangladesh is presently legislating changes in pre-election caretaker government system and Election commissions limits of authority. 15th Amendment of constitution abolishes the caretaker government for holding election under an interim government which is opposed by the opposition party. Meanwhile, the status of the election commission is still hanging. Ideally Election Commission should have independence from the control of the executive branch with a secretariat of its own and with complete financial and recruitment authority. It should have a nationwide network of election office and cadres to conduct a credible election. The budgetary approval for EC and election expenses should lie on the parliament and not the cabinet. The significant positive changes in the promotion of transparency, disclosure and accountability of the political parties achieved by Bangladesh in last election cannot be

upheld or advanced further, if we allow money - the devil to corrupt our Governance and democracy again. Bangladesh Awami League & the ruling Grand Coalition made specific commitment in its election manifesto to introduce a transparent system of political finance for strengthening intra-party democracy as a means to promoting good governance and anti-corruption. We anticipate that they will fulfill their commitment. Peoples freedom rests on development and proper exercise of ones democratic right and obligation and in establishing a secured peaceful society. It is imperative to have proper system for ensuring transferency and accountability in funding political parties and election campaign in Bangladesh to prevent corruption and ensure a credible election with level playing ground for all candidates, rich and poor. Siddique Ahmed Siddique1940@gmail.com