Quest for clean candidates

However, the quest for candidates who are both clean and competent could be a chase after a mirage given the fact that the next general election is due as soon as January 2007.

Let us take into account certain ground realities. Bangladesh has the unenviable distinction of having achieved almost double hat-trick of being the most corrupt country in the world -- and even if one disputes the methodology of coming to this conclusion, at the minimum it tells us that corruption is a major problem in Bangladesh.

Chapter and verse has been written on how polluted our national environment has become as corrupt practices have filtered into all spheres of life. This may explain why we are unlikely to have any Sonia Gandhi amongst us.

The asset declaration that she provided shows that she owns no car, has around Rs 2,100,000 in monetized assets, a share of an ancestral home and some jewelry -- all of which can be accounted for. Another relevant ground reality is that post-1971 Bangladesh has been suffering from widening disparity in meaningful/productive opportunity and income and asset inequality.

Despite the preceding paragraph, the elections will have to be held in order to have a parliament and a government, which enjoys the mandate of the people. The members of the parliament will legislate and some of them govern in our democratic system. There is no escape from this unless the country is again obliged to suffer extra-constitutional governance. Hence our electoral democracy is the only way of gradual progression, however messy it may occasionally be. Having established this, let us turn to prerequisites of good candidates.

Given the constitutional imperative to periodically hold elections, the quest for honest and competent candidates is indeed a necessity. But how does one judge who is honest and whose face is not a mask? Mercifully a potential candidate's financial record exists -- and similar to Sonia Gandhi's asset declaration, it just needs to be made public. The Citizens' Group could publicize each candidate's income and wealth statements, income tax returns, and so on.

In addition to financial transparency, a candidate's competence can be assessed on the basis of his/her track record in parliament or in public office. This could include demonstrated competence of the candidate to contribute in the legislative process -- for instance drafting a new act, amending existing ones, and so on. This is an expertise or skill specifically required for the national parliament. The other critical area is the competence of the candidates for good governance at the national level -- a badly felt need in Bangladesh today.

The "civil society" select members who gathered on March 20 to discuss the need for a clean and competent parliament and formed the Citizens' Group owe a moral obligation to the nation to offer themselves, at their own initiative, to be candidates in the next election.

Besides this obligation, this writer humbly submits to them to please come forward right now so that others feel encouraged to follow their lead, provided both the pioneers and others are clean and competent. Their conscience at this stage is the best judge. Let us see how far the electorate themselves feel the need for good governance.

A process has been initiated. Let us hope and pray the nation will reap the rich harvest and that our future generations benefit.

The writer is a resident of Dhaka.