Even the day before the polls, the Election Commission (EC) had declared that the Chittagong city corporation elections would be held in a festive environment. Yet the next day the election took place amid clashes and counter clashes, polling centres being forcefully occupied, a man being stabbed to death and many being injured. Earlier during the election campaign, two had been killed in attacks by opponents. It is natural for the democratic-minded people to be concerned as why this has been so.
The Chattogram city corporation election had been rife with irregularities and untoward use of force from the campaigning to the voting. In many instances the voters were obstructed from going to the polling centres. And not all those who managed to overcome the obstacles and arrive at the polling centres, managed to cast their votes. There were serious allegations of the opposition parties' polling agents being driven out of the voting centres and also of their being nabbed from their homes. The election commission, however, took no action regarding these allegations. Only a bit more than 400,000 voters cast their votes in the election of the Chattogram city corporation which has a total of 1.9 million (19 lakh) voters. That means only 22.50 per cent of the voters cast their votes.
Awami League's victorious mayoral candidate Rezaul Karim Chowdhury clinched 362,694 votes. BNP's mayoral candidate Shahadat Hossain secured 52,489 votes. Yet in the 2015 mayoral election, even though the Awami League candidate won, the BNP candidate has received 340,000 votes.
Why were there so few votes cast in the election that had evoked so much excitement and enthusiasm? As usual, the election commission brushed off all allegations with a brusque "all is well", but failed to ensure that anything was well at all.
Rather than which party's mayoral candidate won or which party won the most councillor posts, it is more important as to whether or not the voters could vote unhindered. It is the responsibility of the election commission to see whether or not the parties and candidates are adhering to the election code. The commission should have taken measures against those violating the code. But instead of doing so, it encouraged the law breakers. The election commission, therefore, must also take responsibility for the mishaps in the election.
Voting took place on Wednesday in 39 of the 41 wards of Chattogram city corporation. An Awami League candidate won uncontested in one ward and no voting took place in another as the candidate had died. Awami League-backed candidates won in 32 of the 39 wards and the party's 'rebel' candidates won in seven. No BNP-backed candidate won. Is this huge gap in votes an indication of Awami League's towering popularity or anything else? The matter needs looking into. In the last five city corporation elections of Chattogram, the opposition candidates won in four.
It has once again been proven that the KM Nurul Huda commission lacks the integrity and competence to hold a minimally free and fair election. The people's right to vote will not be protected for as long as this commission exists. And the KM Nurul Huda Commission will have to stand trial for this.