Left alliance wants national election first this year

The Left Democratic Alliance wants the national parliamentary election to be held within this year and they prefer the national election first, rather than local government elections.

The left alliance presented their position during a meeting with the election commission (EC) on Tuesday afternoon.

Following the meeting with the EC, Iqbal Kabir Zahid, the coordinator of the Left Democratic Alliance, disclosed the information to journalists. Seven top leaders from the parties of the alliance met with the EC at the Election Bhaban. During the meeting, they presented a seven-point demand on behalf of the alliance.

After the meeting, Iqbal Kabir told reporters that through movements against the fascist government and various forms of discrimination, the government had been overthrown. Following this change, the first duty is to return to a democratic system. Therefore, they are demanding an immediate election.

He said that there has already been an attempt to make the situation complicated by raising the debate of local government elections versus national elections. They believe the national parliamentary election should be held first, and it should take place within this year.

In response to questions from the journalists, Shah Alam, the president of the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) and a partner in the alliance, said that the debate on"reform or election first" has been ongoing for a long time. He emphasized that reforms and elections can happen simultaneously. He pointed out that now the debate is shifting to whether local government elections or national elections should happen first.

They believe that the government is delaying the elections through this debate. This delay will be self-destructive for the nation. The longer the government delays, the more complications will arise in the country. Therefore, the Left Alliance believes the national election should happen first. Without a stable government, the fear-based politics and suffocating atmosphere in the country will not end.

Ruhin Hossain Prince, the general secretary of CPB, said they do not want any delays under any pretext and they want the election date to be announced as soon as possible. He mentioned that after speaking with the election commission, they were assured that the EC is prepared for the parliamentary elections. The EC stated that they will act according to the consensus decision, but they are ready for the national election.

When asked whether he believes the government is delaying the election, Ruhin Hossain Prince replied that in recent talks with political parties, most of them expressed the need for the national election to take place first. If the government does not inform the EC about the national parliamentary election soon, it will be evident that the government is delaying.

Bazlur Rashid Firoz, general secretary of the Bangladesh Socialist Party (BASAD), said that if the parliamentary election does not take place and the election process is not initiated, the culture of fear and instability will continue to grow. The activities of the fallen autocrats and their local and foreign accomplices will persist. Only an elected government through elections can control this situation.