BANGLADESH: POLITICAL STALEMATE PORTENDS CHAOS AN INTER PRESS SERVICE FEATURE

• by IPS Correspondents (dhaka)
• Monday, November 21, 1994
• Inter Press Service

DHAKA, Nov 21 (IPS) - THE BREAKDOWN OF A COMMONWEALTH-BROKERED DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE OPPOSITION IN THIS TURBULENT SOUTH ASIAN COUNTRY SIGNALS POLITICAL ANARCHY AND CHAOS FOR ITS 120 MILLION PEOPLE, ANALYSTS SAY.

NINAN STEPHEN, THE COMMONWEALTH ENVOY WHO TRIED TO BROKER A COMPROMISE BETWEEN THE OPPOSITION DEMANDING ELECTIONS UNDER A NEUTRAL CARE-TAKER GOVERNMENT AND AN ADAMANT GOVERNMENT THAT REFUSED TO BUDGE AN INCH, WAS SCHEDULED TO DEPART THE COUNTRY MONDAY.

"MY CONTINUED PRESENCE IN DHAKA WILL SERVE NO USEFUL PURPOSE," SAID THE DISAPPOINTED ENVOY BEFORE DEPARTING FOR AUSTRALIA. HE SAID HIS FIVE-WEEK LONG EFFORT TO ACT AS MEDIATOR HAD FAILED AND, "... I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO REPORT A SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME TO MY MISSION."

IN A WRITTEN STATEMENT SUNDAY, STEPHEN SAID HIS MISSION HAD FAILED BECAUSE OF THE "DEEP MISTRUST" BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES.

APPREHENDING VIOLENCE FOLLOWING THE POLITICAL STALEMATE, HE TOLD THE COUNTRY ON THE EVE OF HIS DEPARTURE THAT MAYHEM WOULD NOT ACHIEVE ANYTHING AND "LEADS ONLY TO ANGUISH AND DESPAIR".

HE, HOWEVER, ADDED A NOTE OF HOPE SAYING HE HAD PUT FORWARD FRESH PROPOSALS "WHICH I AM CONFIDENT THAT, IF AGREED AND PROPERLY IMPLEMENTED, WOULD ADDRESS THE CONCERNS OF BOTH SIDES, THEREBY PERMITTING A RESOLUTION OF THE CURRENT IMPASSE".

WHILE HE DID NOT OUTLINE HIS FRESH PROPOSALS, HE TOLD A PRESS CONFERENCE SUNDAY THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS WILLING TO ACCEPT THEM.

POLITICAL COMMENTATORS SAID HIS LATEST OFFER SUGGESTED THE FORMATION OF AN INTERIM GOVERNMENT HEADED BY PREMIER KHALEDA ZIA, COMPRISING BOTH GOVERNMENT AND OPPOSITION MEMBERS.

BUT THE MAINSTREAM OPPOSITION COMPRISING THE AWAMI LEAGUE, THE JATIYA PARTY AND THE JAMAAT-E-ISLAMI STILL INSIST THAT A JUDGE OF THE COUNTRY'S APEX COURT, A RETIRED JUDGE OR ANY OTHER WIDELY- RESPECTED PERSONALITY ACCEPTABLE TO BOTH SIDES SHOULD HEAD THE INTERIM GOVERNMENT.

A TOP AWAMI LEAGUE LEADER REQUESTING ANONYMITY SAID THE ELECTION WOULD BE HEAVILY RIGGED EVEN IF ZIA REMAINED AS A SYMBOLIC HEAD OF AN INTERIM GOVERNMENT WITH ALL HER EXECUTIVE POWERS CLIPPED.

"THAT IS WHY WE ARE OPPOSING ANY FORMULA WITH BEGUM ZIA AS HEAD OF INTERIM GOVERNMENT", HE SAID.

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