UNB, Dhaka :
All those political parties, including BNP, which boycotted the January-5 national election may lose their registrations with the Election Commission as per the Representation of the People Order 1972 (RPO) if they do not join the 11th parliamentary elections.
Political observers think BNP its alliance partners will have to join the next parliamentary elections under any format of the government for the sake of their ‘self-existence’ as the Election Commission has the provision of cancelling the registration of a political party for boycotting two consecutive general elections.
According to the article 90H of the Representation of the People Order 1972, the registration of a political party may be cancelled if the political party does not participate in the parliamentary elections for two consecutive terms.
If the January-5 polls boycotting political parties again skip the next national election they will get isolated from people apart from losing their organisational base and strength, the political observers said.
BNP, however, thinks they will be able to force the government to hold a fresh inclusive general election within a short time under a non-party administration as per their demand.
Former election commissioner M Shakhawat Hossain says BNP and other 10-parliament election boycotting political parties must join the next general election, no matter under which format – partisan or non-partisan administration, it is held to save their political existence.
“No party can remain out of election for a long time as it weakens its political and organisational strength. I believe most of the political parties will join the next election,” he said.
About the EC’s jurisdiction to cancel the registration of a political party for boycotting two consecutive parliamentary elections, Shakhawat Hossain said the Commission can take such action if it wishes to do so. “But, the aggrieved party can also go to the court challenging its (EC’s) decision.”
He, however, said the provision was articulated aiming to bring name-only political party to the election.
Dr Badiul Alam Majumder, secretary of Sujan, a non-governmental organisation working on good governance and elections, thinks the commission should not exercise its power to cancel the registration of any political party for boycotting the January 5-like elections.
Terming the January-5 election unusual one in Bangladesh’s political history, he said 71 percent of the registered political parties did not take part in it which turned the polls into non-inclusive and one-side one.
If the situation remains unchanged and a level-playing field is not ensured, BNP and some other parties may boycott the parliamentary polls again.
Political scientist Prof Harun-or-Rashid, Vice Chancellor of the National University, said BNP and its alliance’s partners made a political blunder by boycotting the election. “So, I think good sense will prevail upon them and they will take the genuine political approach by joining the next polls,” he added.
He cautioned that if BNP remains out of election next time, the party will get isolated from people further raising the frustrations of its leaders and activists.
Prof Harun-or-Rashid also suggested BNP and other parties to join the next polls shunning their persistent uncompromising stance for the sake of their parties’ existence.
“BNP should have taken part in the January-5 election to prove that no fair election is possible under a partisan government… I think BNP either to come to the election under any type of administration or force the government to hold the polls in light of their demand through a vigorous movement,” the political scientist said.
He, however, expressed doubt about BNP’s capacity to realise its demand through a movement.
Prof Dilara Chowdhury, a former teacher of Government and Politics Department of Jahangirnagar University, is against the cancellation of a party registration on ground of boycotting the polls saying that if it happens so there will be no politics and democracy in the country.
Echoing Badiul Alam, Dilara said BNP and its alliance partners may not join the polls.
BNP vice chairman Abdullah Al Noman said the next national election will be inclusive one as they will force the government to hold the polls under a non-party administration.
“We’d boycotted the January-5 election as it was a farcical one. Some 95 percent people also refrained from casting their votes. We believe this government will have no option but to hold the next polls under a non-party administration very soon in the face of a strong movement.”
About the EC’s jurisdiction to cancel any political party’s registration for two consecutive election boycotts, he said there are many provisions like regularly holding party council in the RPO which are not properly followed by the political parties.
Noman said the EC will not take any step for scrapping the registration of a big party like BNP if boycotts the 11th parliamentary election under any evolving situation.
Out of the 40 registered political parties, only 12 parties joined the January-5 elections.
The 12 parties are Awami League, HM Ershad-led Jatiya Party, Workers’ Party, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-Jasad, Tarikat Federation, Bangladesh Nationalist Front (BNF), Jatiya Party-JP, Ganatontri Party, National Awami Party-NAP, Gano Front, Khelafat Majlish and Bangladesh Islami Front.
