The president has kept establishment and home ministries, and Cabinet Division and Election Commission Secretariat for himself, all of which are of utmost importance insofar as holding a credible election is concerned. This move has raised questions in the minds of the people as to whether there were no competent advisers to head these vital ministries.

While we expected the advisers to play an emphatic role, now it appears that they have been reduced to holding some portfolios that are at this moment not quite significant, or have little to do with the next election. It is clear that the opposition parties are demanding substantive and qualitative changes in the decision making process at the top, not merely cosmetic ones -- a goal that a panel of advisers having only a token presence is unlikely to attain.

It is being widely talked about that even if the president has all the good intent to perform up to our expectations, the question remains whether his frail health and the severe time constraint will not prove to be major deterrent factors in attaining the objectives. His move might be viewed with great suspicion by the major opposition parties, thereby hindering the process of reaching a broad consensus on some core issues particularly when the immediate past ruling party is facing the charge of exerting too much influence on the functioning of the caretaker government.

We believe there is still time to rethink the issue of distribution of portfolios to bring the all-important credibility to the caretaker government at this critical juncture of our national life.