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EC should prove all`s well that ends well

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Published: 08:27, 21 December 2016   Update: 15:18, 26 July 2020
EC should prove all`s well that ends well

A K Azad: Shakhawat Hossain Khan, BNP-backed mayoral candidate, is contesting in Narayanganj City Corporation (NCC) polls against the key opponent Selina Hayat Ivy, ruling Awami League nominated two times mayor. Amid tensions over the election whether it would be fair and peaceful, President Abdul Hamid has started talks with political parties over forming a new Election Commission (EC).


Meanwhile Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), one of the two major political parties of the country, has already placed its 13-point proposals to the president over forming the next EC. The party chairperson Khaleda Zia who led the delegation at Bangabhaban expressed her hope for forming a strong and neutral EC under which all political parties can simultaneously participate in the next national election.

Jatiya Party, the main opposition in the tenth parliament, also placed a five-point proposal to the president over the issue.

The other parties will take part in the dialogue gradually. On conclusion of the talks, the president is expected to reconstitute the EC through search committee.

As BNP took part in the dialogue after retreating from its demand of poll-time caretaker government, it has turned into the talk of the nation at this moment. Because it has thoroughly confirmed that the party is ready to participate in the next national election under the Awami League government.

However in this case, NCC polls will play a pivotal role under the current EC as it was formed through search committee after such a dialogue by the then president Zillur Rahman in 2011. Though many polls held under this EC have been questioned by some parties, now NCC polls has turned into the acid test for the current EC to uphold its fair image to the nation. All people of the country are keenly keeping their eyes on the polls.

Though it is expected to reconstitute EC through enacting law, it will not be in this turn. The reasons are also known to all. Because, political parties direct interests are involved in it. It can be said in a word that our election commission is always puppet institution of political parties. How the polls will be held, what will be the activities of EC, all these are depended on political parties` attitude. In fact, it depends on the intention of the ruling party.

In Awami League tenure, how BNP comes with allegations of controlling EC and election, Awami League also did same things, as if it has been turned into the culture in the country`s politics.

Our politics never got a sovereign EC since the country`s independence. It always suffers from pressure from the political parties. Gently, it can be said that EC always has to run with meeting pretexts of the ruling party. The country has also witnessed the division in it when it tried to meet the pleas of the ruling party.

The current EC held five accepted and appreciable polls in it tenure. These are Sylhet, Barisal, Rajshahi, Khulna and Gazipur City polls. However, there are still questions over the polls whether these were fair and neutral by its own moves or because of the government`s bona fide. The questions have been more piercers when the people saw its carelessness in the afterward polls of upazilas, municipalities, cities and union parishads. The commission could not keep its influence of power on the administrative officials in the field level.

However, let`s cast aside the debate as the commission is going to embrace departure from its duty in upcoming February. So, people of the country are keenly waiting for the NCC Polls to be held on December 22.  `All`s well that ends well` people now expect this from the commission. Of course, people believe that the fate of NCC polls is depended on the roles of the political parties. In this case, the EC can play the most important role to hold a fair and violence free election.



risingbd/Dhaka/Dec 21, 2016/A K Azad/Augustin Sujan

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