Editorial
Modalities of holding the next election
Resolve the question
Regrettably, the mechanism of conducting the next election remains the most potentially destabilising matter if not addressed pragmatically. While we agree with the PM that in most countries national elections are held under the incumbent government with an efficient and independent election commission to back up, that, unfortunately, is not the case in Bangladesh. And that is primarily because the opposition does not trust the incumbent party to hold a credible and fair election. This was what the country was led to believe by the AL, and it is for this reason that the old system was changed and a caretaker system was pushed down the nation's throat, all on the insistence of the Awami League in 1996. Thus the about turn on the issue is puzzling.
The moot point is holding of national election in a manner that would not only be credible but would also be participated in by all the major political parties. And that needs engendering an atmosphere of trust among the main opposition parties in whatever system that is devised. And the caretaker arrangement was in fact such a system under which four national elections were held since 1996 and which, regrettably, has been arbitrarily withdrawn by the AL-led grand alliance.
In this regard the position of the government, that so many local government elections have been held under the present regime without any objection, does not hold much water since local government elections, that does not relate to assuming power at national level, cannot be equated with national elections.
Given the fact that the recent constitutional changes, which allows for holding election while the parliament is still in vogue, the fear that the election will not be free, and without political influence, is not unfounded. If one hopes for a level playing field in an election, one wonders how, with elected MP continuing in office contesting elections, a level playing field can be provided to all the contestants.
We would hope that the matter would be addressed with sincerity and due diligence by the ruling alliance, because a national election without the participation of the opposition would be unacceptable.
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