Kazi Zahidul Hasan :Holding the upcoming city corporation polls will be an ‘acid test’ for both the government and the Election Commission (EC) when opposition parties have raised question about their acceptability and neutrality following the elections of January 5 and upazila parishad, observers said on Saturday.They said, the major opposition BNP, which boycotted the January 5 election has allowed its leaders to participate in the polls is, apparently created a chance for the government and the EC to prove their neutrality and acceptance. The election result is likely to determine the future of national politics and the fate of the incumbent EC, they added. “The city polls are a challenge and ‘acid test’ for the government and the EC to prove their fairness and neutrality to hold election in a free, fair and impartial manner,” former adviser of the caretaker government M Hafizuddin Khan told The New Nation on Saturday. He said, in a changed political strategy, the BNP has allowed their leaders to join the polls race to test the popularity of the ruling Awami League (AL). So, the polls are going to be a challenge for the government to prove its popularity at the grassroots level. “The polls will be crucial for determining the future national politics and the fate of the EC. If they fail to hold a free, fair and peaceful election, it will justify the BNP’s demands for the next polls under an interim non-party government and reconstitution of the EC,” he added.Hafiz Uddin Khan warned that a tainted city corporation poll may trigger further political unrest in the country. When asked, he said, the EC is yet to establish the level-playing field for the opposition backed candidates as the law-enforcing agencies are keeping them in the run under various cases. “BNP’s participation in the polls is apparently pushed the government and EC in a quandary to arrange a free, fair and credible election,” said former Election Commissioner Brigadier General (retd) M Shakawat Hossaion. He added that if the ruling party men interfere in the polls and the EC fails to show its fairness and neutrality in this regard, it will help BNP to gain public support against their demands. “The EC must prove their neutrality in the upcoming polls. It should not bow down to any quarter while performing their constitutional duties. If anyone try to play dirty game over the polls, they must take stringent measures against them to uphold democracy and voting rights of the people,” he added. “Arranging the city polls in a free and fair manner would be crucial for the government and the EC because the poll result is likely to determine the future national politics as well as the fate of the EC,” said election observer Prof Dr Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah. He said, both the government and the EC are now in image crisis following January 5 elections boycotted by main opposition BNP. If people can freely exercise their voting rights in all the city polls following bold steps from the EC and ruling party men refrain from vote rigging, none will raise question about the elections. Eventfully it will also help boosting BNP’s confidence on them. It will also uplift their image at home and abroad, he noted.
