W'S REFORMATION JUST KEEPS ROLLING:

South Asia gets a makeover (M K Bhadrakumar, 1/06/09, Asia Times)

In sheer drama, however, the parliamentary elections in Bangladesh, which put an end to two-year army-backed rule, must take the cake. While the J&K election did not hold major surprises as such, the results of the Bangladesh elections have come as a political tsunami. Political space in Bangladesh was supposed to have been neatly carved into two halves, which gave the military a handle to manipulate from behind the scenes.

Thus, New Delhi is plainly delighted that the electoral alliance led by the Awami League, which has been traditionally friendly towards India, scored a stunning victory by securing 263 seats in the 299-seat parliament. The mandate is widely regarded as signifying the people's desire for democratic governance and a clean, corruption-free government.

But there are strong undercurrents that hold enormous significance for South Asian security. The results have shown that the people have given a near-fatal blow to the Islamic political parties. The militant Jamaat-e-Islami, which was considered to be a powerful force in Bangladeshi politics, has been literally trounced, securing only two seats, with its chief Motiur Rahman Nizami being defeated. Plainly put, this is an overwhelming mandate against religious fundamentalism. The people have strongly reacted to the perception of a creeping "Talibanization" in Bangladesh. This assertion of the secular temper will come as a great relief to New Delhi.

Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina has been a victim of the wrath of the Islamists, being staunchly secular. A wily politician, she will realize that a great opportunity has come her way to exorcise the extremist elements from Bangladesh's body polity. The best thing to happen, of course, will be if a self-cleansing movement within the Islamist ranks surfaces in the coming period in response to the people's verdict, and Hasina were to become a rallying point. Hasina no doubt holds a strong hand. Her opponents tried to garner votes with their campaign to "save Islam", whereas she promised to counter militancy and religious extremism and establish a liberal democratic society. The Bangladeshi electorate, with a voter turnout exceeding 70%, has left no one in doubt what their choice is.