|
A
titular President turns omnipotent
statesman as politicians squabble
Unfurling an unprecedented chapter
in Bangladesh’s eventful politics, a
titular President now transformed
himself into an omnipotent statesman
taking absolute powers into his
hands, albeit with acquiescence of
the quarreling politicians.
Assuming additional functions of
Chief Advisor of the caretaker
government Sunday for supervising
the next general election, slated
for January, Prof. Iajuddin Ahmed
now wields all constitutional and
executive powers of the President
and the Prime Minister for the
interim period.
“Such a powerful man has never ever
before appeared in the country’s
history since independence in
1971--not even during the military
regimes. He is not accountable to
anyone for his actions. And there
are no checks and balances in
running the affairs of the state,”
said many an expert in law and
politics.
A septuagenarian Iajuddin became an
all-powerful head of state and
government amid an unresolved
standoff between two major parties-BNP
and Awami League-on the issue of
appointing an acceptable Chief
Advisor. Certain ambiguity in
constitutional provisions relating
to the formation of nonparty
caretaker government also helped him
attain this height.
“We’ve never ever seen such a
powerful man being head of state on
the one hand and executive authority
on the other. He can do whatever he
likes as he is accountable to none,”
eminent jurist and ex-President of
the Supreme Court Bar Association
Barrister Shafique Ahmed told UNB.
He said, “I don’t know if such
unique system prevails in any
country of the world. Even military
dictators also share powers to some
extent.”
President Ahmed would now appoint 10
Advisors. They will also be
accountable to the President for
their function.
--UNB
|
