The army-backed emergency rule in Bangladesh has ended with a landslide victory for Awami League alliance led by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the recently held parliamentary elections.Her re-emergence at the helm of affairs is significant in many ways.The voters have shown their disapproval of negative politics played by the defeated alliance headed by Begum Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party(BNP).The BNP leader,who was the Prime Minister when the army intervened to set up its own interim Government,tried to woo the electorate by creating a fear psychosis vis-à-vis India.The BNPand its key ally,the Jamaat-e-Islami of Bangladesh,rarely highlighted development-related issues in a nation where there are few employment opportunities and people are reeling under sky-rocketing prices.These parties could not provide a satisfactory answer to dispel the charges of promoting corruption at every step during the reign of Khaleda Zia.
The Awami League and its allies have won 258 seats of the 300-seat National Assembly because the people consider their leaders less corrupt.The BNP bagged only 27 seats,a stunning turnaround from their their landslide victory in 2001,when their four-party centre-right coalition won 193 seats. The Jamaat-e-Islami was wiped out in the December29,2008 elections with all their major leaders suffering humiliating defeats and the party garnering only two seats compared to 17 in the 2001 polls.The reversal of its political fortunes was so stunning that its chief,the former minister Moiur Rahman Nizami,Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammed Mujahid,and firebrand Delwar Hossain Sayeedee lost by massive margins.
Core Factors
The result of the present elections is a clear reminder that any party ignoring the issues of development and widespread corruption will not be spared by the politically conscious voters of the country.This is why the Awami League could manage to get absolute majority.The League manifesto stressed the need for a change to a corruption-free administration in which religious extremism will have no role to play.The people obviously found it appealing and gave their mandate in favour of the alliance headed by Sheikh Hasina.
Plagued by political as well as economic crises for years on end,the people of Bangladesh can only afford to be cautiously optimistic.considering the many false dawns the have witnessed in the past.In fact,ther is even a sense of déjà vu in the huge parliamentary majority now chalked up by Sheikh Hasina’s party.The BNP had won the 2001 elections by a similar margin.Since then the see-saw “battle of Begums” had led the nation from one crisis to another,as they took turns dominating its politics.Both claimed to be champions of democracy,but never thought twice about joining hands with radical Islamists to snatch power from each other.No wonder militant parties such as Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh and the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh gained as much importance in Bangladesh politics as parties like the original Jamaat.As a result,political parties became hostage to Islamists,and were forced to support terrorist organizations like Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami(HUJI) for their jihadi operations across the border in India.
Free and Fair Election
The outcome aside,Bangladesh witnessed an unusually free,fair andpeaceful election presised over by the army-backed interim administration.After January2007,when a scheduled election was cancelled,and the interim administration seemed intent on perpetuating itself and keeping the two major political players,Sheikh Hasina and Begum Khaleda,out of the election picture,there were apprehensions that democracy was under threat.However,a cleaned-upelectoral roll---freed from legions of ghost voters and refreshed by the enrolment of large numbers of legitimate young voters---set the stage for a credible election process.
Relations with India
The people’s verdict for an Awami League-led Government reflects their desire for friendly relations with India.Sheikh Hasina stands for ending negative politics,which has been coming in the way of better relations with New Delhi.Both India and Bangladesh have their grievances against each other,but these can be redressed in an amicable atmosphere.Both countries will gain immensely by promoting a relationship of goodwill and trust.Bangladesh,virtually floating on a sea of natural gas,can be a major beneficiary by exporting gas to India and facilitating investment from Indian companies.India can also buy more merchandise from Bangladesh to improve ties between the two countries.Given goodwill and understanding between India and Bangladesh,mostbilateral problems can be solved without any difficulty.
The Road Ahead
Sheikh Hasina must embark on her new term as Prime Minister in the knowledge that all sections of the people have voted decisively for secular democracy and development and against religious fundamentalism and militancy.She must realise ,in all humanity,that Bangladesh has voted overwhelmingly for a change from the old ways. The outcome of the election offers an opportunity for Sheikh Hasina’s Government to mend fences with political rivals and together try to find solutins to the huge problems facingthe country for the last so many years.If that doesnot happen,chances are that the country will be back zero-sum politics,which, in turn,could prompt the military to intervene again.On its part,the international community should lend a hand by insisting that the political leaders of Bangladesh clean up their act and find non-partisan ways to support democratic institutions.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Indian Navy Acts in Gulf of Aden
Indian Warship INS Tabar—whose name means battle-axe in Sanskrit—sank a Somali pirate vessel in the Gulf of Aden late on Nov. 18 after it was attacked. The pirate vessel is the first hostile ship sunk by the Navy after the 1971 Indo-Pak war.
The pirates fired on INS Tabar after being intercepted and asked for identification. The Navy retaliated in self-defence. As a result of heavy machine-gun fire by INS Tabar, a fire broke out on the pirate vessel and explosions were heard due to exploiding ammunition stored on the vessel.
This incident, i.e., the sinking of a pirate 'mother ship' by the Indian naval stealth frigate, INS Tabar has given a ray of hope on the seemingly intractable crisis of a hijacking spree near the Horn of Africa. As the volume and scale of piracy along the Somalia-Yemen-Oman waters increased, the victim companies and their respective governments were in a major quandry about the appropriate response.
Complex Issue
Most countries prefer to avoid tackle piracy as it is a complex issue. For instance, a ship might be built in one country, fly flag of another and have a crew of different nationalities. So, the governments let the shipping companies handle the negotiations when a ship is hijacked. As a result, even today the pirates are holding the world to ransom. On top of it, the modern technology has actually helped those who ply this ancient trade. Pirates now have advance information about ships, communicate via satellite phones, carry sophisticated weapons and use fast speedboats. However, their modus operandi remains almost similar to their earlier counterparts, i.e., operating stealthily and swiftly.
Pre-emptive Action
The Indian Navy's pre-emptive action came in praise from all quarters particularly because once the pirates have boarded a ship, little action can be taken for fear of hurting hostages on board.
Indian Navy had earlier rescued Japan's ships from pirates in the Straits of Malacca and had also escorted coalition ships during Operation Enduring Freedom in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. But countries like Malaysia and Indonesia contested the presence of India in these waters. However, when the 2004 tsunami struck, Indian naval ships were the first to reach with relief and aid to Indonesia and Sri Lanka. Again, when Cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar in May 2008, the Indain ships first delivered aid. These actions combined together with INS Tabar's downing of a pirate ship, show that India is not in the business of territorial acquisitions.
The Indian Navy's act has to be seen in light of the expressed helplessness and shock by the world's strongest navy - that of the United States - when pirates seized a Saudi Supertanker, thrice as larger as an aircraft carrier, that was transporting crude oil worth $100 million. The robustness and alacrity with which Indian commandos sprung into action contrasted with the overcautious and clueless attitude of other international naval forces. India's usage of guided missiles and cannons at the targets sets an example for the other multinational navies which have been pondering about the complexity of the challenge.
The International Maritime Bureau's Piracy Reporting Centre at Kuala Lumpur had praised the deft action by Indian Navy and advocated all foreign Navies present in the African waters to conduct stop and search operations like India did, as it will be a strong deterrent and help in stamping out the spiralling piracy in the Gulf of Aden.
Importance of the Task
Piracy is nothing but a high-seas equivalent of street crime. Up to 20,000 vessels sail through the Gulf every year, or 250 per day. One-sixth of the entire crew of the world's merchant navy is Indian. Hence, it is must to make Gulf safe for shipping.
Navies can act against pirates on the high seas but international laws and UN Security Council resolutions 1816, authorises only states cooperating with Somalia's transitional government to enter its territorial waters and chase the pirates. Though an informal agreement has been reached with the Somalian government which lets Indian Navy to enter its waters under certain circumstances, India has called for a UN peacekeeping force under a unified command to prevent piracy off Somalia in a concerted manner.
The Reality
The area between the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea is so huge that no nation or navy by itself can patrol the huge area and fight the pirates. India has, thus thrown a challenge to the UN to take an innovative action as the UN has never been part of 'only marine' mission. As Indian Navy has shown, the action would have to be a way of using radio frequency identification to check the intent of vessels and ways of reacting to resistance including armed action. At the same time, some amount of caution would be required to double-check wether a mother-vessel has crew of a hijacked ship on board. It is because mother-vessels are generally ships captured earlier for ransom by the pirates.
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INS Tabar : A Fact File
* Was commissioned in 2004. Has crew of 180
* Its Russian Kashtan close-in weapon system comprises six-barrelled 30 mm guns that fire 10,000 rounds a minute, and missiles
* Is armed with Shtil surface-to-air missiles
* Has Klub cruise missiles to destroy submarines, ships more than 200 km away
* Speed: 56 kmph
G-20 Summit
The two-day Washington summit of leaders of the G-20 countries ended on Nov. 15 against the bockdropof what is now being described asthe greatest financial and economiccrisis in the world economy sincethe Great Depression of 1930s.The Summit was called at a shortnotice by President Bush under European pressure.
The Summit was attended by the US President George Bush, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, Russian President Dimitry Medvedev and other G-20 leaders.
The G-20 was formally established at the G-7 Finance Ministers’ meeting on September 26, 1999. The inaugural meeting took place on December 15-16, 1999 in Berlin. 19 of the world’s
25 largest national economies, plus the European Union (EU), collectively, the G-20 economies comprise 90 per cent of global gross national product, 80 per cent of world trade (including EU intra-trade) and two-thirds of the world population.India's Advocacy
India was represented at the Summit by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who advocated a multi-faceted approach to tide over the current economic crisis. He mooted a coordinated global fiscal stimulus to help mitigate the severity and duration of the recession. He raised various issues requiring urgent attention such as reforms of the multilateral financial institutions to enhance concessional flaws, a caution against protectionist policies and changes in the global financial architecture to avoid a recurrence of the crisis. He also sought a mechanism of consultation that could yield results in terms of policy coordination. The Prime Minister was raptly heard due to the kind of technical expertise that he brought to the summit.
Draft Declaration
The 'Washington Declaration' signed by heads of state of G-20 nations emphasised upon support to emerging economies, closer macro economic cooperation, strengthened financial markets and regulatory regimes.
Five Common Principles
The declaration laid out five common principles for reform of financial markets to avoid future crises.
* Strengthening transparency and accountability, particularly the valuation of complex, illiquid products and the creation of a single, high-quality global standard.
* Enhancing sound regulation including a review of how valuation and leverage, bank capital and executive compensation may exacerbate cyclical trends.
* Promoting integrity in financial markets by getting national and regional authorities to work together and promote information sharing.
* Reinforcing cooperation by establishing supervisory colleges for all major cross-border financial institutions.
* Reforming international financial institutions.
Action Plan
The declaration also created a task force of G-20 finance ministers to initiate processes and a timeline to do so. The task force was given an Action Plan based on five identifiable and tangible areas (Common Principles) to be completed before Mar. 31, 2009.
In the Action Plan are steps to boost standard of creidt rating agencies, address weaknesses in accounting and disclosure standards, ensure cooperation between national financial authorities, including meetings to share information, and a risk warning system for banks.
A 'college of supervisors' will be set up to monitor the world's biggest financial institutions, with a list of firms to be compiled by the end of March, 2009.
Other Decisions
The summit also agreed to expand the Switzerland-based Financial Stability Forum to include a broader membership of emerging economies and a 12-month hiatus on protectionist measures.
The India Effect
The Group of G-20 nations heeded the call from India and other developing nations to reform international financial institutions like the IMF and World Bank. The IMF or other agencies can now review US financial systems as much as it can review India's or China's.
This is the first time the western world, particularly the US, has agreed to such far-reaching universal oversight of its financial practices.
Seven Big Messages
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh exclaimed that he saw seven big messages emerging from the Washington Summit.
* The recognition by all G-20 leaders that there is a global crisis which calls for a global response.
* The continuing weakness of the real economy suggests that the steps taken to increase liquidity must be supplemented by a coordinated fiscal stimulus.
* The need to take special steps to provide resources to developing countries by providing adequate additional resources to the World Bank and the IMF.
* The need to introduce regulatory reforms in the financial system by improving existing standards and aligning them internationally.
* The need for better multilateral surveillance of both macro-economic and financial developments.
* The imperative of avoiding a retreat into protectionism.
* The harm done by excessive speculation, by enterprise becoming a bubble on the whirlpool of speculation.
Next Summit
The British Prime Minister Gordon Brown will take over the Chairmanship of the G-20 group of developed and emerging economies next year. Mr. Brown has announced that the next summit to discuss the global economic crisis would be held in London in April 2009. Some of the major areas likely to be discussed are greater regulation of the financial markets and a review of corporate practices such as 'fat cat' perks. The summit will also review the progress on promises made at the Washington meeting.
Power Shift
The present Global recession provides the major developing country economies, including China and India with a real opportunity to increase their weight and influence in the world economic order.
Though, it is too early to say that they were able to capitalise on the opportunity as the Declaration does not indicate any paradigm shift in the world economic order, there was a clear indication that the balance of power is shifting in favour of emerging economies (represented in the G-20 by China and India) as the group realised that developing countries were going to be the worst sufferers because of the market crisis for no fault of theirs.
The Summit was attended by the US President George Bush, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, Russian President Dimitry Medvedev and other G-20 leaders.
The G-20 was formally established at the G-7 Finance Ministers’ meeting on September 26, 1999. The inaugural meeting took place on December 15-16, 1999 in Berlin. 19 of the world’s
25 largest national economies, plus the European Union (EU), collectively, the G-20 economies comprise 90 per cent of global gross national product, 80 per cent of world trade (including EU intra-trade) and two-thirds of the world population.India's Advocacy
India was represented at the Summit by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who advocated a multi-faceted approach to tide over the current economic crisis. He mooted a coordinated global fiscal stimulus to help mitigate the severity and duration of the recession. He raised various issues requiring urgent attention such as reforms of the multilateral financial institutions to enhance concessional flaws, a caution against protectionist policies and changes in the global financial architecture to avoid a recurrence of the crisis. He also sought a mechanism of consultation that could yield results in terms of policy coordination. The Prime Minister was raptly heard due to the kind of technical expertise that he brought to the summit.
Draft Declaration
The 'Washington Declaration' signed by heads of state of G-20 nations emphasised upon support to emerging economies, closer macro economic cooperation, strengthened financial markets and regulatory regimes.
Five Common Principles
The declaration laid out five common principles for reform of financial markets to avoid future crises.
* Strengthening transparency and accountability, particularly the valuation of complex, illiquid products and the creation of a single, high-quality global standard.
* Enhancing sound regulation including a review of how valuation and leverage, bank capital and executive compensation may exacerbate cyclical trends.
* Promoting integrity in financial markets by getting national and regional authorities to work together and promote information sharing.
* Reinforcing cooperation by establishing supervisory colleges for all major cross-border financial institutions.
* Reforming international financial institutions.
Action Plan
The declaration also created a task force of G-20 finance ministers to initiate processes and a timeline to do so. The task force was given an Action Plan based on five identifiable and tangible areas (Common Principles) to be completed before Mar. 31, 2009.
In the Action Plan are steps to boost standard of creidt rating agencies, address weaknesses in accounting and disclosure standards, ensure cooperation between national financial authorities, including meetings to share information, and a risk warning system for banks.
A 'college of supervisors' will be set up to monitor the world's biggest financial institutions, with a list of firms to be compiled by the end of March, 2009.
Other Decisions
The summit also agreed to expand the Switzerland-based Financial Stability Forum to include a broader membership of emerging economies and a 12-month hiatus on protectionist measures.
The India Effect
The Group of G-20 nations heeded the call from India and other developing nations to reform international financial institutions like the IMF and World Bank. The IMF or other agencies can now review US financial systems as much as it can review India's or China's.
This is the first time the western world, particularly the US, has agreed to such far-reaching universal oversight of its financial practices.
Seven Big Messages
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh exclaimed that he saw seven big messages emerging from the Washington Summit.
* The recognition by all G-20 leaders that there is a global crisis which calls for a global response.
* The continuing weakness of the real economy suggests that the steps taken to increase liquidity must be supplemented by a coordinated fiscal stimulus.
* The need to take special steps to provide resources to developing countries by providing adequate additional resources to the World Bank and the IMF.
* The need to introduce regulatory reforms in the financial system by improving existing standards and aligning them internationally.
* The need for better multilateral surveillance of both macro-economic and financial developments.
* The imperative of avoiding a retreat into protectionism.
* The harm done by excessive speculation, by enterprise becoming a bubble on the whirlpool of speculation.
Next Summit
The British Prime Minister Gordon Brown will take over the Chairmanship of the G-20 group of developed and emerging economies next year. Mr. Brown has announced that the next summit to discuss the global economic crisis would be held in London in April 2009. Some of the major areas likely to be discussed are greater regulation of the financial markets and a review of corporate practices such as 'fat cat' perks. The summit will also review the progress on promises made at the Washington meeting.
Power Shift
The present Global recession provides the major developing country economies, including China and India with a real opportunity to increase their weight and influence in the world economic order.
Though, it is too early to say that they were able to capitalise on the opportunity as the Declaration does not indicate any paradigm shift in the world economic order, there was a clear indication that the balance of power is shifting in favour of emerging economies (represented in the G-20 by China and India) as the group realised that developing countries were going to be the worst sufferers because of the market crisis for no fault of theirs.
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