Winning hearts and minds

The political parties of Bangladesh are following a similar disastrous strategy to win the hearts and minds of the electorate in the upcoming elections. The recent conviction of disgraced military dictator H.M. Ershad has revealed yet another sad aspect of the state of politics in Bangladesh. The citizens watched incredulously as staunch opponents to the ruthless and corrupt regime of General Ershad rushed to offer their heartfelt sympathy and strong support to the deposed dictator.

Could it be possible that the leaders of the 14-party alliance have very short memories? Do they actually believe that General Ershad has been wrongly convicted? Do they think he is not guilty of corruption? That is not likely. The show of sympathy for a corrupt dictator is part of the strategy of political parties to win the hearts and minds of the electorate in Bangladesh.

Ershad's faction of the Jatiya Party may (or may not) garner 10-15 seats in the next elections. The 14-party alliance is exposing its political bankruptcy by discarding all that it stood for in the build-up to the current movement in the hope of winning Ershad's approval, and possible support from a handful of Jatiya Party legislators (provided they win those seats). This is, indeed, a very unfortunate move on the part of the oldest and most formidable political party -- the Awami League -- and its allies, and will have a devastating impact on the confidence of the public in their capacity to lead.

If the Awami League leaders believed in their oft-repeated statements that they stood for integrity in politics then their strategy should have been to distance themselves as far as possible from Ershad and his corrupt legacy. This could be one more strategic mistake that will haunt the Awami League for a long time, as they continue to lose credibility.

It is deeply disappointing to see both major parties place too much emphasis on winning support from smaller parties instead of building upon their strengths for contesting elections. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party has evolved into a mature institution and should have developed the capacity to win the hearts and minds of Bangladeshi citizens without leaning on the crutch of the fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh. The alliance with the Jamaat has caused immense damage to the image of the party (and the country), and has disappointed a large number of voters who consider BNP to be an alternative to Awami League for forming the government.

If BNP enters the electoral race on its own platform, without the Jamaat baggage, it might expect to perform better. There will be no compromises to be struck with the fundamentalists, and the party could draw upon the support of voters, who have an aversion to religious fundamentalists. They might lose a few seats by following this strategy, but the returns they will be able to reap in terms of public confidence will be huge. Similarly, Awami league appears to have lost confidence in its stellar record as a political party, and is reaching out to insignificant allies to return to power.

Similar to the US government, both Awami League and BNP are pursuing the wrong strategy. Both parties have the organization, workers, strength and experience to win the hearts and minds of the electorate on their own merit. In their efforts to win at any cost they are shunning the normal rules of politics and engaging in dubious methods to win a few more seats in the legislature. In the process ideologies get compromised, promises are broken and the political system gets even more corrupted. The problem has reached such a stage that even die-hard supporters of the two major parties refuse to believe the statements made by their leaders on propriety, integrity and particularly on their resolution to battle corruption.

Faint rays of hope flickered with the formation of the Bikalpadhara Bangladesh (an odd name for a political party) and its subsequent merger with the latest entrant into the political arena -- the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). The apprehensive public has already noticed with concern the rush of leaders from the BNP -- many of whom do not have an entirely clean image to the LDP. The flickering flames of hope are about to fizzle out as credibility declines in the LDP's repeatedly stated resolve to adopt a "zero-tolerance" policy towards corruption.

While it is not surprising that the smaller parties strive hard to enter into alliances with the larger parties, the eagerness of Awami League and BNP to cater to their demands remains an issue. It reflects a lack of self-confidence, vision and capacity among the major political parties to face the electorate on their own, and convince the voters of their sincerity in leading the country.

Politics should not be viewed in the narrowest sense of gaining control of the majority of seats in the legislature, and ruling without concern for the country. The broader objective is to contribute to the governance of Bangladesh to the fullest ability of a political party. This can only be done when a political party remains true to its ideological stand, commitment to serve (either as the governing party or the party in opposition), and plans for long-term courses of action. Winning one election by striking alliances with widely diverse elements makes no contribution to the future of the party or Bangladesh. Such alliances are not sustainable, like all arrangements of convenience.

The concept of non-partisan caretaker government was floated as a response to the lack of trust between political parties. The latest attempt at forming a non-partisan caretaker government, which is unlikely to be retained, has failed, as there are too many loopholes in this arrangement. Consequently, the situation places the responsibility fairly and squarely on the political parties to bring back trust in the system. The trust of the citizens needs to be gained by the political parties and other critical institutions in the country.

Both Awami League and BNP need to reconsider their current strategies, and develop plans to contest elections on the basis of their own platforms and organizational strength. This requires extensive hard work in the constituencies, and a sincere approach to public service. The emphasis must shift from negotiations with marginal parties and insignificant (and corrupt) leaders.

The Awami League and BNP must establish channels of communication with the voters. Instead of highlighting the negative aspects of the opponents, the parties need to accentuate the positive in their own approach to governing Bangladesh, place their political agenda in front of the electorate, and convince the citizens that they will honour those commitments. By getting rid of unwanted baggage and costly negotiations that come with electoral alliances, energy and resources will be diverted towards productive activities winning the hearts and minds of the voters.

Shafiqul Huque teaches Political Science, McMaster University, Canada.