Sceptics term it routine promise
Mustafizur Rahman
Major political parties in their respective election manifestos have made ‘routine pledges’ that they will not meddle in the function of public administration and ensure smooth service delivery for the public.
They have announced that if voted to power they will introduce a merit-based appointment and promotion system in the public service, which the present government also conceived initially but could not proceed with in its two-year tenure which ends this month.
‘The parties’ pledges in the manifestos for keeping the administration free of political interference seem to be routine commitments…People are losing confidence in administration due to political interference’, former adviser to the caretaker government Akbar Ali Khan told New Age on Monday.
He said that brazen political meddling in administration proved disastrous in the past.
The contesting parties also underline the need for introducing e-governance to bring about dynamism and transparency in the function of bureaucracy.
‘Administration will be free from politicisation and will be pro-people’, according to the Awami League’s election manifesto 2008 announced by the party president Sheikh Hasina.
While reading out the party’s pledges, the AL leader said, efficiency, seniority and merit would be the basis of promotion in public service. ‘Administrative reform, right to information and e-governance will be introduced.’
Awami League also vows to set up a permanent pay commission for civil servants. Rangpur, now a district under the Rajshahi Division, will be made a new administrative division, according to the AL programme.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party in its manifesto announced by the party chairperson Khaleda Zia focused on decentralisation of the administration to extend the public service to the people’s doorsteps.
It has also pledged that the administration would be made free of all types of political interference and would ensure transparency and accountability in the bureaucratic system. BNP, in a similar manner, pledges that merit, efficiency and experience would be the parameters for appointment, promotion and posting in administration.
‘It is the government which suffers ultimately if it fails to run the country as people lose their confidence in the administration… Administrative decisions should be made in keeping with rules’, Akbar, also former cabinet secretary, said adding that the bureaucracy was getting weaker due to political interference by successive governments.
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, unlike others, has promised to stop ‘unnecessary political interference’ in the administration. It has also promised for building effective and service-oriented administrative machinery.
Jamaat said that it would organise moral training programmes for the civil servants to have a responsible and accountable administration.
HM Ershad’s Jatiya Party has announced that it will introduce a federal system of government instead of the central one by dividing the country into eight provinces to ensure good governance.
Courtesy: newagebd.com
