The new Election Commission (EC) has a dozen challenges holding the next parliamentary election, according to political analysts and leaders of the political parties.
According to them, implementation of electoral system reformation and making political consensus, holding pressure-free elections, ensuring participatory polls, reconstitution of the administration, administrative manipulation, control of muscle power and money in election, preparing a new voter list, demarcation of electoral constituencies, fixing returning officers to hold a fair election, creating level-playing field, registration of new political parties, decision on giving priority holding local administration and national polls, and keep the election commission as non-partisan are the major challenges.
Election Commissioner Brig Gen (Rtd.) Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah yesterday (Wednesday) said, “We think more than the challenges. We think this is an opportunity. Of course, there are challenges. We have come here to face these challenges. We are saying this is the opportunity as the nation is crossing a critical time where we have no alternative to hold a fair election.”
Shusashoner Jonno Nagorik (Shujan) Secretary Badiul Alam Majumdar told Bangladesh Pratidin that the biggest challenge is the ruling government. If the government wants to influence the election, they (the election commission) have nothing to do. The election commission follows the government's instructions. But the current interim government will want a free and fair election. In this perspective, the new commission has no big challenge.
He, however, said the election commission has some challenges. These are -- implementation of electoral system reformation, demarcation of electoral constituencies, preparing an updated voter list, and freeing the massive partisanship from the administrative skills.
When asked about the key challenges of the new election commission, Ganasanghati Andolan's Chief Coordinator Zonayed Saki said the new election commission will set an example as none can snatch people’s voting rights in the future using the commission. They (the new EC) will take the election commission to this status so that the EC can become a place of trust to protect the voting rights of the people.
Zonayed Saki also said that it is mandatory to reconstitute the administration, create a congenial electoral atmosphere, and prepare a voter list fairly alongside ensuring muscle-free and black money-free polls so that people can choose their candidates freely.
Contacted, Communist Party of Bangladesh's (CPB) central General Secretary Sajedul Haque Rubel said, “We couldn’t franchise three times. There was no fair election in the country. Now we are in limbo. For this reason, parliamentary election should be held at first.”
Holding a free, fair and acceptable election without the influence of the ruling government or evil forces is the main challenge, he added.
Sajedul Haque Rubel said, “There are some conditions to hold an acceptable election. One of these conditions is the participation of all parties. With the participation of all parties, the election will be questioned at home and abroad. The new election commission will have to identify what they have to do at first. The EC has to set some far-reaching goals. In this case, if the interim government wants to hold an election after long days and they have an agenda, then the government can delay the works of the election commission. We have to see how the EC deals with this issue. Dealing such matter can be a challenge to the commission.”
The election commission should focus on creating a level playing field for all political parties. A big question is whether the election will be held constituency-based or a proportional system. It can be discussed. Communist Party has been demanding election through proportional system for long, he added.
bd-pratidin/GR
