First phase questionable

The just concluded Union Parishad election has been questionable because of "nomination trading" by political parties, violation of the electoral code by candidates and supporters, and disputed role of the Election Commission, a civil society organisation said yesterday.

As the commission is authorised to conduct polls, the responsibilities for the irregularities fall on it, SHUJAN said, revealing the findings on its observations of the first phase of UP polls at Dhaka Reporters Unity.

Election to 712 UPs across the country was held on March 22.

Polls to the lowest tier of local government were largely marred by electoral irregularities, stuffing of ballot boxes, and clashes between supporters of rival candidates, according to media reports, and around two dozen people were killed and several hundreds injured in the violence. 

In a statement, Shushashoner Jonney Nagorik (SHUJAN) said local government polls should not be held along partisan lines. "Criminality in politics" has made the electoral system controversial, it said.

SHUJAN observed that the ruling Awami League's rebel chairman candidates and BNP candidates could not file nomination papers in many places due to threats and obstruction, while the allegation of selling nomination was raised against major political parties, especially AL.

The organisation said since the start, a trend of violating electoral code by AL men was noticed. In addition, massive violence took place, and after the election, Hindus in some areas are being threatened to leave the country, it said in the statement.

But EC's role was questionable since the beginning -- the commission was not seen taking any impartial and bold step against the irregularities but rather wanted to shift its responsibility on to returning officers and police, SHUJAN alleged.

In the election, AL got 36.48 percent of the vote, while BNP polled 11.5 percent, the organisation said, adding that the result was also questionable.

Addressing the conference, SHUJAN Secretary Badiul Alam Majumdar said the first phase was "perverted", and it was not competitive.

"People are losing trust in the electoral system due to such perverted elections. If people lose trust in the electoral system, the consequence won't be good, and it would render the democratic system ineffective," he said.  

"We think that we are pushing our democratic system to the verge of destruction."

Around 650 UPs will go to polls on March 31 in the second phase, 680 on April 23 in the third phase, and 743 on May 7 in the fourth phase. Election to around 1,400 more UPs will be held in two other phases till June.