Political Analysts Slam EC, Express Doubt Over Credible 11th Nat’l Elections
Analysts and political leaders on Tuesday said that electoral integrity in Bangladesh was challenged while the Election Commission lacking voters’ trust failed to minimize tensions prior to the 11th national elections.
Addressing a seminar hosted by Centre for Governance Studies at Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies auditorium, they expressed doubts over the EC’s ability to lead the partisan administration and law enforcement agencies on the right track.
Manzoor Hasan, executive director of Centre for Peace and Justice under Brac University, presenting a keynote paper which said that the election commission should be free from all undue influences of the executive branch of the government and political parties.
He reminded that a credible electoral process, which might lead to peaceful transfer of power, plays a vital role in democracy.
Terming the EC as inefficient, former inspector general of police M Enamul Huq said non-partisan voters were feeling insecure in staying at their respective constituencies fearing undue pressure to vote for the ruling party candidates.
National Board of Revenue’s former chairman Muhammad Abdul Mazid emphasised that controversially elected government remained weak in foreign-level bargaining while pointing out that a credible election was crucial to get international support.
Rumeen Farhana, Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s assistant international relations secretary raised a concern regarding ruling party’s dominance over the electoral process which had made the atmosphere fearsome and frustrating for the voters.
Zonayed Saki, Ganosamhati Andolan chief coordinator, also Left Democratic Alliance candidate for Dhaka 12 constituency, said that the country’s undemocratic laws are meddling with holding of inclusive elections and made the state system despotic.
Fair Election Monitoring Alliance president Munira Khan said supporters of opposition candidates were now victims of violent confrontation by election campaigners displaying muscle power.
Mentioning that the incumbent EC still failed to gain people’s trust, former bureaucrat Mofazzal Karim advised the administrative and law enforcing officers at grassroots level to play their due role towards a credible general election.
Sakhawat Hussain, retired brigadier general and former election commissioner, said the incumbent EC seems ill-equipped to handle matters properly in a conflicting situation.
Presided over by Centre for Governance Studies chairman Professor Ataur Rahman and moderated by Zillur Rahman, former adviser to the caretaker government M Hafizuddin Khan, former chief information commissioner Muhammad Zamir, former state minister Abul Hasan Chowdhury, BNP chairperson’s advisor Ataur Rahman Dhali, Dhaka University teacher Mamun Ahmed, Jahangirnagar University teacher Shahab Enam Khan, CGS vice chairman Manjur Ahmed Chowdhury also spoke at the occasion among others.
News Courtesy: http://www.newagebd.net