Apart from winning, the ruling Awami League (AL) wants to ensure two more things during the upcoming elections in five city corporations. First, they want to ensure as many voters as possible. Second, they want to prevent rebel candidates from competing against the party-nominated candidates.
Several Awami League leaders say if they can ensure these two things, then it will be possible to maintain a proper election environment during the polls and eventually it will help the AL nominated candidates to win the polls easily.
According to the sources in the party, ahead of the national elections, the upcoming elections to the five city corporations will bear much significance given that everyone will keep an eye on several election-related issues, including the participation of the opposition parties, voter turnout and transparency of the election. These issues will be highly discussed prior to the upcoming national election. The voting is being held amid the anti-government movement of the opposition. Therefore, turning up people’s interest in elections is also an agenda of the Awami League, especially ahead of the general elections.
Speaking to Prothom Alo, Awami League’s presidium member and agriculture minister Abdur Razzaque said, “Awami League takes all the polls very seriously. The upcoming elections to five city corporations are also very important to us. There will be no lack and flaw in our election campaign this time. The election vibe is still not there. But it will start once the election campaigns kick off officially.
Awami League mulls ways to increase voters’ interest
According to Awami League policymaking sources, several BNP leaders or their children may contest the election in two or three city corporations personally even though the party does not participate in city polls formally, and Awami League will also encourage them because participation of BNP leaders will increase election turnout, and that is what Awami League aims for.
The mayoral election will be on party symbol. Awami League candidates will contest polls on the party symbol ‘boat’. Since BNP leaders will vie independently not on party symbol ‘sheaf of paddy’, less BNP supporters and activists are likely to vote. So, if all supporters and activists of Awami League cast ballot, victory will be confirmed for Awami League candidates. As a result, voter turnout will increase, victory of Awami League candidates will reveal its popularity, the sources added.
A central leader of Awami League on condition of anonymity told Prothom Alo that there was no violence in large scale during the recent upazila and local government elections. Yet, the government was in uncomfortable state over low turnout. There were whispers in Awami League on people losing interest to voting as oppositions are not participating in it. Amid this condition, Awami League took the matter of increasing turnout as a challenge.
Policymakers of Awami League observe there are many things to tell people on the success of the Awami League government. If campaign can be carried out on the development done by the government defying propaganda, voter turnout will increase. In this case, role of councilor candidates is also important.
With the 12th parliamentary election due next year, by-polls to six constituencies left vacant by BNP were held in February this year. Unofficial results of six constituencies show voter turnout was 28.75 per cent. No parliamentary by-polls saw such low turnout recently.
Of the six constituencies, Brahmanbaria saw lowest 16.10 per cent turnout, where Awami League gave no candidate and backed BNP renegade Ukil Abdus Sattar instead, while Thakurgaon-3 witnessed highest 46.30 per cent turnout.
However, voter turnout was 38.23 per cent at the by-polls to Gaibandha-5 constituency where voting was held on 4 January while it was 26.24 per cent at the by-polls to Faridpur-2 parliamentary seat where voting was held in November last year.
Traditionally, election is considered as festival in Bangladesh, but voter turnout has been low at various national and local government elections over the past couple of years because of various irregularities coupled with BNP boycotting polls.
When asked, Awami League joint general secretary Mahbub Ul Alam Hanif told Prothom Alo voters will be more interested since this is the year of a national election.
Awami League will conduct widespread campaign to increase voter turnout, he said adding, there might be many candidates from BNP, so, election will be competitive and voter presence will increase.
This report appeared in the print and online edition of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten in English by Ashish Basu and Hasanul Banna