An election commission is formed in Bangladesh to conduct the elections in keeping with the constitution. There had previously been no law to form an election commission. Now we have made a law and formed the election commission immediately. So in no way can this commission be called unlawful.
It is the function of the election commission to conduct the election. That can be the presidential election, the Jatiya Sangsad (national parliament) election or any local government election. But in the case of elections to local government bodies, there is need for government permission. They have never had any major problem in conducting the presidential elections. In most cases, there had been a lone contender. After the parliamentary system was put in place, only once had there been a contest for the office of president. That was in 1991. The opposition party’s candidate had been Badrul Haider Chowdhury, standing against the BNP candidate Abdur Rahman Biswas. Abdur Rahman Biswas won by 172:92 votes.
All the debate and disruptions are over the Jatiya Sangsad elections. Very few election commissions have been given bouquets after the election. There has always been a tirade of criticism. It is obvious from their speeches and statements that the officials of this election commission are in quite an awkward position over all this.
The election commission, election code of conduct, returning officers, polling agents, etc, are all there to ensure a free and fair election where the voters’ right to vote can be exercised. The chief election commissioner (CEC) and his colleagues are going around every day making statements and speeches. But the basic prerequisite for a fair election is absent this time. The election lacks competition. It is near impossible to find any opposition candidate in the fray.
The basic duty of the election commission is to ensure that the voters can cast their votes. More important that the percentage of votes cast, how many fake votes were cast and so on, is whether the 120 million voters or so of the country could be included in the election process. BNP is one of the two major political parties of the country. Their absence from the election means keeping a section of the voters away from the election. We are not saying that the election commission didn’t try to bring all parties to the election. There certainly was an effort. But our politics is so divided, that one side cannot tolerate even the sight of the other. Under such circumstances, it is indeed difficult to bring all sides to the election. And so rather than take up such an onerous task, the election commission has chosen the easy way out. The Rakibul and Huda commissions did the same.
The verbal venom being spewed against each other by the candidates with the Awami League ‘boat’ symbol and the independent candidates (also known as ‘dummy’ candidates), goes to show just how intolerant and hot-headed our politics is here
The concern that we hear in the voices of the chief election commissioner and his colleagues is also because of not being able to bring all the parties to the election. Now they are to present this election, in absence of a part of the political parties, as free and fair as possible. But they have also said, “It depends on the contending candidates as to whether the election will be fair.”
The verbal venom being spewed against each other by the candidates with the Awami League ‘boat’ symbol and the independent candidates (also known as ‘dummy’ candidates), goes to show just how intolerant and hot-headed our politics is here. The issue is not for or against independence, or any ideals or ideology. It is just about winning. A whip of the present parliament did not receive party nomination and so now is contending as an independent candidate. Supporters of the ‘boat’ attacked his family and injured them. They say he is getting what he deserved for the atrocities he has carried out in the area over the past five years. In many other areas too, the ‘boat’ candidate supporters have attacked the independent candidates because they had foiled their chance to sail to victory uncontested.
The chief election commissioner and his colleagues have said a lot about the election. But the words of the election commissioner Anisur Rahman are of particular significance, and a matter of concern too. Speaking as chief guest on 31 December at the inauguration of a training programme for executive magistrates at Bangabandhu International Convention Centre, he said that Bangladesh may become isolated if the election is not free. He said, “The entire world is looking towards us. If we cannot hold a free, fair and impartial election, our future will be uncertain. There is fear that Bangladesh’s financial, social, business, and all sectors will come to a halt. There are only six days left and on the seventh day is the 12th national parliamentary election. It is not enough just for us to say from our point of view that the election is free, fair and impartial.”
If we analyse commissioner Anisur Rahman’s words, we will see he is apprehending that Bangladesh will be isolated from the outside world. He has even warned of Bangladesh coming to a halt in its financial, social and business sectors. So long it had been those boycotting the election that has been saying these words.
When the government ministers and important Awami League leaders reassure the people that everything will be fine once the election is over and that there will be no problems with the countries that are our friends, why does EC Anisur Rahman have this apprehension? Does he have any specific information in this regard? And what the election commission officials see as a fair election, is not how the outside world perceives it. To them a fair election means the chance to choose one from many. When the results of the election are known before the votes are even cast, that in no way can be called a fair election by any international standards.