Political party manifestos must clearly state if they support ‘yes' or 'no’ vote: Badiul Alam Majumdar
Badiul Alam Majumdar, secretary of Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (SHUJAN), has called on political parties to clearly state in their election manifestos whether they support a ‘Yes’ or a ‘No’ vote in the event of a referendum.
He said that although parties have pledged to implement reforms under the July National Charter, this commitment must also be explicitly stated in their manifestos.
He made these remarks on Saturday morning at a press conference titled “What kind of election manifesto is needed to reflect the aspirations of the mass uprising?”, held at the National Press Club in the capital. The press conference was organised by Shujan.
At the press conference, Badiul Alam Majumdar said that free and fair elections alone are not sufficient; the country must move towards a democratic transition.
Democracy must be institutionalised and systems must be put in place to ensure that free and fair elections are held consistently.
He urged political parties to operate in accordance with the law, stating that democracy cannot be established in the country if political parties themselves are not democratic.
Badiul Alam Majumdar also highlighted the issue of asset growth among winning candidates in past elections. He said that power comes with a “magic wand”.
Politicians must explain how they will put an end to the commercialisation of politics and the politicisation of business and how they will prevent the opportunities for accumulating wealth that arise from holding power.
Earlier, in his opening remarks, Badiul Alam Majumdar said that an election manifesto is a written contract. Even if it is not formally signed, it constitutes a contract between political parties and voters.
If this contract is violated, citizens should have the opportunity to seek legal help. People should be able to question the extent to which political parties have implemented their commitments.
He further said that ahead of the ninth parliamentary election, the Awami League had issued a manifesto titled the “Charter for Change”. Subsequently, the party forgot those commitments, for which it ultimately had to pay a political price.
At the press conference, Professor AKM Waresul Karim, dean of North South University, presented 15 issues on behalf of Shujan that should be included in political party manifestos.
These issues include: a clear commitment to implementing the July National Charter and the recommendations of the Reform Commission; accountability of state institutions and law enforcement agencies; institutionalisation of democratic bodies; restoration of constitutional balance; democratic and transparent political parties; an effective and institutional fight against corruption; commitment to building a merit-based society; a tolerant and sustainable economic framework; a firm commitment to eradicating extreme poverty; prioritisation of women’s empowerment; a strong local government system; equitable and accessible healthcare services; Bangladesh’s position in a changing global context; environmental protection and positioning on climate change and global warming; and preventing the erosion of democratic values and bringing change to political culture.
The press conference was chaired by Shujan’s treasurer Syed Abu Naser Bakhtiar Ahmed. Also present were members of Shujan’s executive committee, Ekram Hossain and Dilip Kumar Sarker.