Local govt and national election
Photo: Munir uz Zaman / driknews
We were alarmed to read the news item published in today's (25-06-08) DS that many grassroots level political leaders of major parties including incumbent ward commissioners, who were allegedly involved in criminal activities, are preparing to contest in the August 4 polls to four city corporations. And many of them have already collected application forms for candidacy, although some political parties have yet to announce their acquiescence in the local government polls before the parliamentary one. Now we understand why the big political parties opposed local govt body election before the national polls. If the big parties can somehow manage national election before the local government election, the winning parties will get an opportunity to free all their supporters and grassroots level leaders from criminal charges, bring them to join party activities and strengthen their hands to reoccupy their lost paradise from the hands of the CTG. We remember, the last 4-party alliance government set free about 14,000 of their goons immediately after coming to power, arrested by the previous govt on criminal charges, calling the charges against them "politically motivated". But later on, these freed goons turned their back to their liberators and created a serious law and order situation in the country and the alliance government had to create Rab to tackle them and put some of them to 'crossfire' --an anti-crime measure. They know that if the local govt election is held before national election, many of their supporters, who are their supreme power base at the grassroots level, will be disqualified to participate in any election as per present EC rules. The political parties, especially the big ones, want to come back with their own men and guns and rule the country as they did in the past.
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