Interim govt. not neutral, say parties

By Haroon Habib

DHAKA, JULY 26. Even before completing two weeks in the office, the non-party caretaker government headed by Mr. Justice Latifur Rahman is facing criticism for some significant steps it took. While it justifies the actions proper for holding a free, fair and credible election keeping in view its constitutional mandate, the Awami League led by the former Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, objected to some terming them ``hasty decisions''.

The 4-party Opposition alliance led by Begum Khaleda Zia, which initially hailed the decisions, too has changed its stand and started questioning the ``neutrality'' of the caretaker government.

Besides making drastic changes in the civil administration for which the interim administration was criticised by many commentators also, the Government on Wednesday effected major changes in the police administration. It also changed the Secretary of the Election Commission which evoked a strong protest from the Awami League.

The Chief Adviser of the caretaker government today hinted at a further reshuffle in the administration. In a newspaper interview published today, Justice Latifur Rahman urged political leaders and parties to exercise restraint and help him conduct the elections. ``In a democracy, tolerance is the key word which the political leaders of Bangladesh should integrate into their political culture,'' Justice Rahman told The Daily Star .

Addressing the Secretaries of different Ministries today, Justice Rahman said the people expected the caretaker administration to function neutrally. He said he had made some changes in the administration ``from (the) logical outlook of ensuring its full neutrality in every task''.

The interim government has also decided in principle to bring some major changes to electoral laws, and an Ordinance by the President, Mr. Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed, is likely to be promulgated soon. Amid the controversy, Justice Latifur Rahman told the media that he would not be influenced by any party or opinion but would do what he felt right in the interest of conducting a credible election.

Mr. Rahman is now trying to organise a meeting between the two top leaders - immediate past Prime Minister and Awami League chief, Sheikh Hasina, and the BNP chairperson, Begum Khaleda Zia. ``I feel seriously that political leaders must talk to each other and try to bring about a congenial atmosphere for free elections. If the leaders of the major political parties talk to each other, the nation would feel assured and my task as head of the caretaker government would become much easier.'' The Khaleda Zia- led alliance in which the fundamentalist Jamaat-E-Islami is playing a key role initially praised the interim government. But it too changed its stand alleging that the administration was ``not neutral''.

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Section  : International
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