Entire EC should resign: SHUJAN

Accusing them of failing to hold fair elections, a civil society organisation yesterday demanded that the Election Commission (EC) chief  and its other commissioners should quit.

The EC itself is the main obstacle to hold fair polls -- it had lost control over the electoral system because of inefficiency and bias, said Badiul Alam Majumdar, secretary of Shushashoner Jannoy Nagorik (SHUJAN).

Nomination trading, widespread violence, and irregularities have been a threat to the country's electoral system, he told a press conference SHUJAN organised at Dhaka Reporters Unity to give its views on the Union Parishad (UP) polls.

Election to 1,364 UPs was held in the first two phases on March 22 and March 31, while 621 UPs are set to go to polls on April 23 in the third phase, 743 UPs on May 7 in the fourth phase and around 1,400 more in two other phases till June.

The EC is facing huge criticism from media, civil society, different political parties and a cross-section of people as the first and second phases of polls witnessed widespread violence and irregularities that left at least 35 people dead and over one thousand injured.

"The incumbent EC has outshined the Justice MA Aziz-led EC (2005 to 2007) in terms of biasness. The then Aziz commission was mired by political controversy because of a faulty voter list. But the incumbent commission has taken the entire electoral process to the verge of destruction," Majumdar said.

The commission has proved that fair elections are not possible under partisan government, he said. An accurate electoral roll, participation of multiple candidates, ensuring intimidation-free environment for voters, and transparency are the major prime pre-requisites for a free and fair election, he added.

Nomination trading, widespread violence, intimidating rival candidates, and "open" electoral irregularities have polluted the electoral system, while partisan UP polls have increased the intensity of violence, he viewed.

He also emphasised dialogue with political parties to hold fair elections.

Media personality and SHUJAN member Muhammad Jahangir said if such irregularities and violence got entrenched in local government polls, the next parliamentary election could not be held in a fair manner.

Reading out a written statement, SHUJAN Coordinator Dilip Kumar Sarkar said the EC must be strict in applying law to hold fair polls. The government and political parties must cooperate with the commission in this regard, he added.