Why is EC acting controversial?

The election commission is committed to hold a free, fair and credible election. The commission is fully empowered with the required necessary administrative support to discharge its duty. The people expect the commission to act neutrally and independently. It has been proved in the past that a fair election is hardly feasible in this country under an elected government.

The 11th parliamentary election of Bangladesh, a land of over 160 million people, will be held under a political government. The people naturally have doubts as to whether the election would be free and fair. After all, following the city corporation election, people’s trust in the EC is on the wane. The city corporation elections in Khulna, Rajshahi, Barishal and Sylhet were plagued with massive irregularities and vote rigging.

The principal opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) repeatedly said the elections under the party government would not be free and fair. However, the ruling Bangladesh Awami League insists that the election would be free and fair.  

Gano Forum president Kamal Hossain-led Jatiya Oikya Front including BNP has demanded a neutral government to hold the parliamentary election. 

The Front held dialogues twice with prime minister and also Awami League president Sheikh Hasina at her official Ganabhaban residence.

Sheikh Hasina did not accept the proposal for an election-time neutral government, but assured the Front of a fair election.

At one stage, the front decided to join the election. It demanded the election commission to create a level playing field for all political parties.

Being an independent and constitutional body, the election commission is to perform its duties neutrally, not in favour or disfavour.

On 8 November, the election commission hurriedly announced the election schedule with voting day on 23 December. Following the demand of several political parties to defer the election, the commission revised the voting date to 30 December. However, it ignored the Oikya Front’s demand to defer it by a month.

Soon after the announcement of the election schedule, Awami League started selling nomination papers at its president’s Dhanmondi office on 9 November. Violating the electoral code of conduct, Awami League aspirants along with huge number of supporters moved to the Dhanmondi office to buy nomination papers, creating traffic congestions in surrounding areas including Mohammadpur, Dhanmondi and Manik Mia Avenue for three to four days. 

In the same manner, BNP started to sell nomination papers at its Naya Paltan central office on 12 November. BNP aspirants along with huge number of supporters went to its office to buy nomination papers. On 12 and 13 November, BNP aspirants and supporters bought nomination papers without any violence although the Naya Paltan area saw huge gridlocks.

On 13 November, all of sudden, the election commission issued a letter to the administration and the law enforcement to take steps against the breach of electoral code of conduct. On 14 November, a large number of law enforcers were deployed near BNP office. On the day, BNP activists clashed with police, and several BNP men and police members were injured in the incident.

Following the incident, people from various quarters raised a question. Is the election commission acting independently and neutrally? Is the election commission working deliberately or inadvertently? Only the election commission can answer.

One tends to assume that the commission is working neither neutrally nor independently.

The election commission has been assigned to hold elections in an environment conducive to fair polls where voters can franchise freely. The commission is not assigned to issue statements to the effect that a 100 per cent fair election is not possible. This sends a negative message to the voters who are anyway apprehensive about casting their votes.

Election commissioner Kabita Khanam on Friday said it is not possible anywhere in the world to hold 100 per cent free and fair elections.

“So elections in Bangladesh won’t be 100 per cent free and fair. But we would try to conduct an acceptable election,” Kabita Khanam told the assistant returning officers of Rajshahi, Rangpur and Khulna divisions at the election commission secretariat in the city’s Agargaon area.

Kabita Khanam should have asked the assistant returning officers to hold a neutral election at any cost.

She could have warned that the returning officers would not be spared in case of their failure in discharging their duties. She should have known that these officers also belong to certain political ilk, either Awami League or BNP.

When they are told that 100 per cent fair election is not possible, the officers may lean in favour of a certain party.

So the election commissioners should be cautious in what they say.

Earlier on 7 August, chief election commissioner KM Nurul Huda said that he cannot guarantee that there will be no irregularities in the general elections. That statement too cannot go down well with the electorate.

Rabiul Islam is a journalist at Prothom Alo. He can be reached at [email protected]