Lawmakers not degraded: TIB
Staff Correspondent
banglanews24.com
Dhaka: Transparency International of Bangladesh (TIB) claimed that it did not malign the Jatiya Sangsad (JS) through the recent survey report published over the activities of some JS members.
It was told in the report that 97 percent JS members are involved in negative activities.
After the publication of the report a number of members as well as the JS speaker questioned about its acceptability. They alleged that the report was published to degrade the JS and its members. To this context TIB has given a set of explanations to the queries on the report.
In the explanation TIB has claimed that it did not publish the report to make any member or any particular party belittle in the eye of people.
The comments made in the report are only applicable for 149 surveyed members not for all. TIB further claimed that it did not publish the report with ill intention of influencing the next election.
The detailed explanation of TIB is given below for the readers------
Question 1: What is the motive of TIB behind this survey? Whether the JS was insulted through this survey?
Answer: Two major political parties had pledged in their election manifesto that they would make the JS effective. But different survey depicted that the JS members are not performing their responsibilities up to the mark. Rather it was known from the media reports that they are involved in various negative activities.To give democracy an institutional shape TIB has been carrying on research on the activities of the JS members.
Q 2: What is the background of this survey? What is the method of survey? How the JS members were selected?
Ans: After the formation of the 9th JS it was revealed through different survey that the JS members are not performing their primary responsibility of framing law. Their absence from the House and their least interest in framing law and due to their failure to ensure the accountability of the government, the JS could not be effective.
The whole research work was done on the basis of primary and indirect data substantiated by the media reports. TIB has used the data received from its own parliament watch team regarding the activities of JS. To review the activities of the JS members outside of the JS TIB depended on the views of the neutral and conscious sections of the locality. In seven divisions across the country 44 group meetings were organized where 600 discussants took part. Those included teachers, businessmen, lawyers, professionals and media men.
Q. 3: How far the quality of the data was ensured? How the participants in the group discussions were selected?
Ans. The people who took part in the group discussion were educated, neutral and established conscious people of their localities. Highest care was taken to determine their neutrality. If any body gave different opinion his comments were also recorded.
Q. 4: Higher court once questioned about the research method of TIB. How much the present method is correct?
Ans. There are limitations of any social survey work and it cannot be claimed that this social survey report is finally correct. However care is taken to ensure the correctness, dependability and neutrality.
Q. 5: Is the all information received in the survey applicable to all JS members?
Ans. Predestined method was not used in this survey so it cannot be generalized. This method is not equally applicable to all members of the 9th JS. This analysis is only applicable to those who were included in the process.
Q.6: Is TIB has the right to work on the JS members
Ans. According to our constitution people is the source of power. People enjoy their constitutional power through their elected representatives and this representation is done through their representatives. So people have their rights to know about the activities of JS member
Q. 7: Is TIB working for the opposition party?
Ans. TIB never works for or against any political party.TIB is set to work against corruption and directed to create awareness among the people.
Q.8: Despite knowing the fact that the media has its own agenda then why TIB is so much dependent on it?
Ans. The report is not based on media reports. It is based on the analysis from group discussion at the grass root level.
Q. 9: Is the present report aimed for the character assassination of the politicians? Is the present report published with the ill-intention of influencing the next election?
Ans. In the report there is no mentioning of the name of any JS member brought under the microscope so nothing was done with motive rather a true picture was presented before the nation. It is better not to suffer from any denial syndrome. Better if it viewed from positive perspective and work positively for the rest of the time they might do well in the next election.
Q.10: It was told in the report that 97 percent members are involved in negative activities, 53 percent are involved in positive activities. Does it mean that 44 percent is involved in only negative activities? Do they are not involved in any positive work in their constituencies?
Ans. It is not the object of the research report to identify the 44 percent members arithmetically who are only involved in negative activities. TIB is not supposed to identify any single individual to be good or bad only.
Q.11: Honorable speaker has said that there are six JS members in his district who are all good people. Does the TIB report reflect it?
Ans. The aim of TIB report was not to identify the good or bad. TIB believes that the members are personally good. But TIB aimed at the evaluation of their activities. We do not differ with the speaker as he has evaluated personal qualities.
Q.12: Whether the TIB report can contribute for bringing effective functioning of the JS? Is it a conspiracy to bring undemocratic government in power?
Ans. The object of TIB is to remove corruptions from the country as well as to strengthen democratic process. It believes in accountability and transparency in the government system.
Q.13: Is it correct to publish the report depending on only the opinion of 600 people?
Ans. The report was made after using the opinion of 600 people as primary data and then validity was examined through earlier collected secondary reports.
Q.14: Who gave this data?
Ans. The 600 people were selected on the criteria:- a) academic qualification; b) Whether they make interaction with different sections of the society; c) Whether they are nonpartisan; d) Whether they are known as conscious people in the society and whether they have information. The people who did not fall in the criteria they did not give any information in 71 constituencies. Only after being sure they supplied information of 149 constituencies.
Q.15: What does it mean by positive activities?
Ans. The positive activities of the JS members included new infrastructure construction, land allotment, donations, bridge construction, approval of reconstruction works, improvement of electricity and local development works. Besides these, to check river erosion, removal of water stagnation, contribution in the cultural field, preservation of environment, creation of employment and development of religious institutions etc.
Q.16: What was meant by negative activities?
Ans. The list of negative activities included controlling the local administration, to misuse the power by becoming the presidents of local educational institutions, use of local allocation for own interest, involvement in various criminal activities and involving in corruptions.
Q.17: what was meant by offensive activities?
Ans. It means the allegations of involving in killing directly, grabbing of khas land, river,canal, Jalmahal, extortion, tender business and fraudulent activities etc.
BDST: 0005 HRS; Oct 25, 2012
Translated & Edited by shahjahan/SMS