Centring the 2023 parliamentary elections, an election-centric politics is now being observed in the political environment of Bangladesh. Various political parties and alliances are busy formulating their election plans ahead of the next elections. Though the opposition parties have stated that they will not take part in any election under the present government, the ruling party has vowed to hold a fair election with the participation of all parties. However, people think that this is just a strategy of the opposition political alliance. Therefore, everyone believes that the next election will be held with the participation of all parties.
A new election commission was formed in the country a few months ago. Opposition parties have rejected the Commission since its inception, but most civil society actors and people have accepted it. This is because there is no allegation of party loyalty against any of the members of the Election Commission. As a result, the biggest test for the new Commission since taking office was the Cumilla City Corporation election, which was held on June 15.
Although several Union Parishad, Upazila and Municipality elections were held under this Commission, the people were looking forward to the Cumilla City Corporation elections. Much of the politics of the future will depend on how participatory and credible the Election Commission can make the Cumilla City Corporation elections. As a result, observing the last June 15 elections impartially, it can be said that the Election Commission has accomplished its responsibilities successfully. With the spontaneous participation of ordinary voters, the Cumilla City Corporation election was very competitive - proving how participatory and acceptable the election was.
After any election, one party feels happy, and the other remains unhappy - that is very normal. Moreover, in the political reality of Bangladesh, the losing party raises various allegations to question the credibility of any election. Until the counting of votes began in the last 15 days, all the candidates expressed their opinion that the election was fair. However, one candidate said that the speed of EVM was a bit slow, and voters were having problems. The allegation may be true. Moreover, in the reality of Bangladesh, most people did not have the experience of voting in EVM. Furthermore, the speed of EVM depends on the speed of the internet.
Although there are some problems regarding the speed of EVM, we have to thank the Election Commission for conducting the election of Cumilla City Corporation through EVM. Opposition political parties boycotted the use of the EVM without providing a scientific explanation in favor of their argument. The Election Commission has already presented the details of the use of EVMs to various stakeholders, including expert teams. Based on their presentation, the expert team members have concluded that it is impossible to manipulate EVMs. But their argument was not acceptable to the opposition.
The government and all political parties
and alliances in the opposition should
assist the Election Commission
to make the next general election
participatory and transparent
The election situation in Cumilla was perfect even before Election Day on June 15. Competing candidates did not appear to have any problems before the vote except voicing minor allegations of breach of rules against each other. No candidate submitted any complaint on Election Day other than the EVM's slowness. This meant that the voting environment was incredibly peaceful. We all know that the non-participation of the opposition in the elections has created a tendency among the people of Bangladesh not to go to the poll centres. But that did not happen in the Cumilla City Corporation elections because about 60% of the voters exercised their franchise in the polls.
In the election of Cumilla, there was fierce competition between three candidates for the post of mayor. One of them was Awami League candidate Ahsanul Haque Rifat, and the other was the independent candidate expelled from BNP, the recent past Mayor Monirul Haque Sakku. Nizam Uddin Kaiser, who was expelled from the BNP, also contested the post of mayor as an independent candidate. Independent candidate Sakkur's fierce rivalry with Awami League candidate Rifat was seen from the very beginning of the announcement of the election results. We noticed that Sakku once crossed Rifat while Rifat crossed Sakku again. As a result, a kind of suffocating condition was created towards the end.
After the results announcement in 101 out of 105 polling stations, there was widespread tension among the supporters of the two candidates. The situation was such that the announcement of election results had to be stopped for a while by the Returning Officer in the control room set up at Shilpakala Academy. After the situation was brought under control, the results of 105 centers were released, showing that Awami League candidate Ahsanul Haque Rifat defeated his rival Monirul Haque Sakku by a margin of 343 votes. Rifat got 50310 votes, and Sakku got 49967 votes. Independent candidate Nizam Uddin Kaiser who was expelled from BNP, got 29999 votes.
After losing the election, Mr Sakku denied the election results, saying he had been deliberately lost. However, in this context, it is necessary to mention that the election results were announced in each center shortly before they were sent to the control room. The results of each center were handed over to the agents of different contesting candidates. Judging from this context, Mr. Sakku should have copies of the results of 105 centers. If he had specific evidence that his total vote was more than Mr. Rifat's vote, he could have presented them to the media.
Instead, he is trying to blame the Election Commission - which I do not think is acceptable. There was no way for anyone to tarnish the election if it was possible to control the tension between the supporters of the two rival candidates over the election result. In any case, the election result should be accepted by all, respecting the people's verdict.
Another critical achievement of the Cumilla election was the installation of CCTV in every center and observing the election by the members of the Election Commission from Dhaka. The Election Commission has said in a statement that they did not notice any irregularities during the election period. As a result, judging by the overall results, this election has been a resounding success.
However, we must remember that no creation on the earth is perfect. Therefore, 100% success will come in all cases - it is not always desirable. Some weakness remains somewhere in most successes. However, judging by the overall situation, there is no doubt that the Election Commission has successfully received the Yes Card through the Cumilla City Corporation election. People have appreciated the process by which they have been able to hold elections. This Commission has proven that elections can be participatory and transparent with the support of all political parties and candidates.
The government and all political parties and alliances in the opposition should take the current Election Commission into confidence and assist them in findings ways to make the next parliament election participatory and transparent. Just as the Election Commission has stated its intention to hold talks with all parties, all political parties need to hold open discussions with the Election Commission. We have to keep in mind that the responsibility of the Election Commission will be placed on one or the other person. It isn't easy to find persons acceptable to all political parties. All persons with whom the present Election Commission has been formed are of clean image. As a result, the primary responsibility of all political parties will be to institutionalise democracy by participating in the elections and keeping confidence in them.
Pranab Kumar Panday is a Professor at the Department of Public Administration,
University of Rajshahi
