The Jatiya Oikya Front’s manifesto panel has almost finalised the opposition alliance’s electoral pledges with key focus on education, health care, judiciary, freedom of speech.
The panel, headed by pro-BNP professionals’ group leader Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury, is expected to forward the draft to the alliance’s policymaking Steering Committee on Monday (Dec 3).
“The manifesto will be finalised on Tuesday (Dec 4),” Zafrullah told Bangla Tribune on Saturday (Dec 1).
Journalist Mahfuz Ullah, who also sits on the panel, echoed. “The panel comprises of representatives from all parties (in the coalition) and the manifesto is being formulated in line with proposals from allies,” he told Bangla Tribune.
Meanwhile, Oikya Front leader Dr Kamal Hossain has made it clear that if elected and the people want, they will amend the Constitution.
But the process has hit a setback as the BNP is yet to clear whether it’s planning for separate pledges on behalf of themselves and the 20-party Alliance it leads, according to members of the manifesto panel, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Also one of the members in the panel has proposed including some new issues, which may create difference of opinion, not only among the allies but also the people, they say before adding it’s being mulled to task the BNP to settle the matter.
Another factor, which has emerged, is the view of coalition leader Dr Kamal Hossain over constitutional amendments.
A senior BNP leader, who asked not to be named, seemed confident about including amendments to Sections 55, 69 and 70 of the Constitution as an electoral pledge.
After intense negotiations, Dr Kamal, who leads the political party Ganoforum, on Oct 13 launched an alliance with the BNP, ASM Abdur Rab’s Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD-Rab), Mahmudur Rahman Manna’s Nagorik Oikya and the Jatiya Oikya Prokriya, a loose political platform.
Last month, Kader Siddique’s Krishak Sramik Janata League (KSJL) joined the coalition.
The coalition has announced that its candidates will use BNP’s ‘paddy sheaf’ as their polls logo for the voting slated for Dec 30.
Speaking to Bangla Tribune KSJL’s chief Kader Siddique said their coalition aims to create a ‘balance of power’, if elected.
“Dr Kamal has said that the country will run in line with the Constitution, which actually is very rich itself. The problem is we do not follow it. But a balance of power between the president and prime minister is imperative and we will do it, which will be one of our pledges,” he said on Saturday.
According to the draft manifesto, seen by Bangla Tribune, one of the key aspects of it is ensuring security for the citizens, addressed by measures to stop arrests by men in civvies and extra judicial killings, scrapping the Digital Security Act as well as reforms in the judiciary.
“The very first thing Oikya Front will do, if it assumes office, is stopping the (so-called) shootouts. The coalition will pledge forming a commission to amend the Constitution,” Iqbal Siddique, who represents KSJL in the manifesto panel, told Bangla Tribune.
Oikya Front’s draft manifesto also focuses on reforms in education, like scrapping public exams— PEC and JSC for fifth and eighth graders, a centralised entry test for public universities as well as holding elections to student unions in educational institutions across the country by a year.
Creating a balance of power and decentralisation are also being stressed.
“We will introduce a balance of power; laws will be made so that 50 percent members in the parliamentary standing committees come from opposition as well as the deputy speaker will be from the opposition,” Zafrullah, the chief of manifesto panel, said.
According to him, the electoral pledges will also include laws barring an individual from being the prime minister for two straight terms. “The president’s power will be increased. The president will not have to consult with the prime minister.”
The Ganashastya Kendra founder added that the manifesto may include bringing back the provision of referendum. “We will form a commission over the issue of provincial administration. It’s not possible to administer a nation of 170 to 180 million people from a city (Dhaka).”
However, a senior member of the panel headed by Zafrullah said the BNP may not agree on the provision of barring a person from holding the office of the prime minister for two terms.
“I have my doubts,” he told Bangla Tribune but asked not to be named.
The issue of provincial government have already created a difference of opinion, according to another member of the Oikya Front manifesto panel.
“There is difference of opinions within the BNP over the issue. I doubt whether it can be included in the pledge; at best the formation of a commission can be one of the pledges, but that too is not finalised,” he told Bangla Tribune, on condition of anonymity.
On reforms in judicial, the draft manifesto pledges decentralisation of higher court, including High Court benches in divisional cities.
Oikya Front’s electoral pledges will also include lifting the age limit to enter public service, except for the police and the armed forces, unemployment allowances as well as appointment in all vacant posts in government services within three years.
The coalition will also pledge for social security schemes for the marginalised population as well as measures for alleviating poverty further.
The electoral pledges may include ensuring justice for the perpetrators behind the bank and stock market scams, but several members of the manifesto panel said they have doubts that it will make it finally.
The manifesto, however, is based on BNP chief Khaleda Zia’s ‘Vision 2030’, where the former prime minister had pledged to constitutional reforms to create a balance of power.
In May 2017, former prime minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia unveiled her party’s Vision 2030 in front of the media at a Dhaka hotel.
“The BNP is of the opinion that the people of Bangladesh have been dispossessed of the ownership of the state that they had created through the great liberation war.
The BNP wants to hand over the lost ownership back to people,” it read.
Since its inception, Oikya Front have stressed on the people getting back the country’s ownership. Addressing the public rallies, Dr Kamal has raised this issue.
In its Vision 2030, the BNP chalked out a plan for curbing executive authority, reforming judiciary and adding diversity to political opinion which it then described as the roadmap for a ‘Rainbow Nation.’
According to Oikya Front insiders, the manifesto’s philosophy will be based on Bangladeshi nationalism in line with the spirit of the Liberation War.