DESPITE many deaths and massive violence in the first phase of the Union Parishad (UP) elections, news report in The New Nation on Wednesday said the Election Commission (EC) is set to hold the second phase of the UP elections in the country’s 644 Union Parishads today. The Election Commission should have obtained assurance from the candidates that they will not indulge in violence. We have been giving due importance to the reality that Election Commission is not to be blamed for lawlessness at the polls. The Election Commission is not for fighting violence resorted freely by the candidates for denying the voters to vote and choose who should be elected. The responsibility of the Election Commission is to decide who are to be eligible as candidates and ensure people to cast their votes freely and peacefully. It is wrong to blame it for causing violence for misdirecting the election results. But the Election Commission has surely the responsibility to stop elections if the candidates and the government machinery do not cooperate for elections to be peaceful and fair. Like the earlier phase the ruling party nominated chairman candidates have already won the election uncontested in 31 UPs showing that their challengers were unable to hold the ground. Given the scale of violence and at least 22 deaths in the first phase, most candidates challenging the ruling party nominated candidates are quite apprehensive of their safety and the safety of their polling agents at the polling centers.The Election Commission must show its determination that if the elections cannot be free of violence that the elections are not held legally. The Election Commission must blame those who make the elections a game of violence and stealing votes. It can show its honesty by counting votes and declaring elections results held fairly.
