Why Mrs Zia cannot become Anwar Ibrahim?

Published : Tuesday, 22 May, 2018 at 12:00 AM Count : 965

Apparently their political destiny may seem quite the same. Malaysia's future Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and our jailed Opposition Leader Khaleda Zia have respectively endured mental and physical torture in the hands of their political opponents, went behind bars , have been accused on numerous charges while their political parties have been kept at bay from holding rallies and processions.

However, when it comes to political wisdom and most importantly the survival instinct amongst the fittest in politics - Ibrahim is far ahead of Mrs. Zia. Anwar Ibrahim has seen it all, from jails, courtrooms, the highest office to the opposition head in exile - so have Begum Zia.

But then, why has it suddenly become important to draw comparisons between the two?

It's significant for a number of reasons, which are - comparing the levels of tenacity or persistence to withstand tougher times, ability to lead the party from jail, values and vision for country, political astuteness and foremost to find out - if it is likely for the Malaysian magic to repeat once more in a different country otherwise Bangladesh.

Not that Mrs Zia hasn't undergone difficult times - falling under different socio-political and private circumstances - but as she grew older, her control over her party systematically slipped away. Political divisions between her and her son had become starkly evident.

The party in power may have become hell-bent to bring back Tarique Zia from London but despite BNP's 'silent and invisible popularity' his countrywide acceptance, especially as the future BNP leader is debatable.

Most importantly, it isn't only a leadership vacuum which has weakened the BNP led 20 party alliance; currently the alliance's collective organizing capability to call for an uprising has hit the rock bottoms. And Mrs Zia's leadership over the past decade has been proved somewhat ineffectual - either to lead a party or an alliance.

Whereas Anwar Ibrahim went from strength to strength despite being in jail, Mrs Zia failed to gather the momentum leading up to a countrywide movement. That said - political weights may be hugely in Ibrahim's favour, but the million dollar reminder is the political cultures of the two countries are poles apart.

Despite an abundance of differences in opinion and a couple of decades old bitter personal enmity with Mahathir, what's fascinating in Malaysian politics is that - both Ibrahim and Mahathir shares a common vision for Malaysia. Both realised that a sudden change must shape up to free Malaysia from its ongoing sufferings. Together they stood against Najib Razak but not for merely assuming office, following a greater joint commitment.

And in order to materialise that commitment they decided to experiment with options, strike an alliance and introduce an innovative power sharing formula. If politics was truly an art of compromise, both the leaders compromised with their respective antagonisms. This was the Malaysian example.

Can we expect a similar political reality to take place in Bangladesh? Is that dream too unimaginable , too impossible to envisage for Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia to strike a deal sharing a single platform for the common good of the country.Unless BNP leaders can think politically and make the kind of alliance under a common leadership it has no chance of bring about change through election. BNP's present leadership of Begum Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman are not acceptable to many though all agree that a political change is essential.

Perhaps the last time the two leaders united was during the time when the countrywide movement against the autocratic Ershad regime had gathered impetus in 1990. The common enemy was surely the military dictator but the hidden agenda was assuming power on behalf of individual parties and nothing more.

Following the pattern of elections and our politicians' behaviour post 1991 elections, at least one truth has become crystal-clear - AL and BNP politics are purely power oriented politics - the exact opposite of people oriented politics.

The crisis: we have no political leadership to think politically for the greater interest of the country and it would be markedly unfair to blame Mrs Zia on exclusive terms.Under the current political circumstances it is uncertain that BNP can think of making any political concession to give up the dream of its leadership to come to power. It is least likely to make the kind of concession Anwar Ibrahim made. And with deteriorating health conditions, growing isolation and absence of a countrywide uprising the possibility for a comeback for Mrs Zia is even bleak.

He accepted Mahathir to be short-term Prime Minister first; it was undeniably a farsighted and long-term thinking. It was sharing power based on mutual understanding for a better Malaysia. It's right on this point where power sharing becomes a crucial factor. There is no such concept known as the power sharing formula in Bangladesh, either one stays in power or stays out of it. On all counts repeating a Ibrahim-like comeback is not possible for Mrs Zia - irrespective of whether she has the Anwar-Ibrahim-qualities or not.

The writer is Assistant Editor, The Daily Observer