Sagar Biswas :
The Election Commission [EC] is now facing heat from ruling Awami League and its alliance partners for its failure to check gross irregularities and widespread violence in the first and second phases of Union Parishad election.
The ruling party leaders and ministers on Sunday categorically made the EC responsible for the ‘mismanagement and violence’ which claimed 38 lives so far and injured over 2,000 in the electoral clashes in different parts of the country.
“It is the sole responsibility of EC to hold a free, fair and peaceful election…The EC is fully independent. The EC can take any step, whatever it wants. We have requested the EC to take tough action against the law breakers. Hope, the EC will take legal action to resist violence,” Awami League joint-general secretary Mahabubul Alam Hanif said putting blame on the shoulder of EC.
Expressing deep sympathy for the families of those who lost their lives, the Awami League leader further said, “Social feud is the root cause of violence and killings in the ongoing UP election. The government is trying its best to restrain the violence. Hope, violence will be under control in the next phases.”
Echoing the same view, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon also expressed dissatisfaction over the activities of EC. “After observing two phases of UP elections, it seemed there was a grand festival to occupy polling centres. The voting centres were occupied openly in front of general people,” Menon, who is also president of Bangladesh Workers Party, said after holding a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmed yesterday.
Detailing the incidents of violence, Menon said, “Our party candidates are facing severe obstacles…They are beaten and abandoned in the crop field. However, we have told the EC that we want to continue. If the EC cannot assure us about the safety of candidates, the people will lose trust in EC.” Meanwhile, BNP has also demanded cancellation of both the first and the econd phases of the UP elections for massive irregularities and violence. BNP may boycott the polls after the third phase if overall situation does not improve. The decision in this regard would be taken by the party high command soon, party insiders said. “People have already rejected the elections under the current incumbent EC for widespread violence, vote rigging and irregularities. We demand immediate cancellation of the elections [first and second phases],” Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, senior joint-secretary general of BNP, said on Sunday. Terming the election as ‘vote dacoity’, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi further said, “The electoral system has no guardian. It seems, the EC has deposited it’s clothe [to hide its shame] to the museum…..We also demand immediate resignation of the entire EC.”
The BNP leader further said, “Among the victims in the electoral clashes, there was a child….who will be shameful for this? Police were caught while stuffing ballot …. who will be shameful for this?”
Raising questions about the ‘outcome’ of UP polls, BNP standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan said, “The fake voters are casting votes in front of the real voters at the polling centres. In several areas, ballot papers were snatched away from the voters. The ruling party men are killing one after another centering the election. …Is there any profit for BNP to keep connect with the voting process?
Eighty seven ruling party men have been elected in two phases apparently without any contest. Not only that, five Awami League men have reportedly won without contest till filing of nomination papers for the third phase polls.
The number of ‘elected uncontested candidates’ would be increased obviously after finalization of nomination papers for next phases. There is widespread speculation that record number of candidates would be elected ‘chairman’ unopposed this year.
According to information provided by EC, highest number of [100 ‘chairman’] candidates became winners without contest in 1988 UP election during the tenure of HM Ershad. At that time, 600 ‘member’ candidates also had won without any voting. The first phase election was held in 712 unions on March 22 and in 11 unions on March 23. Besides, the second phase was held in 639 unions on March 31. Election in one UP was halted due to death of a chairman candidate. Of the 724 unions in first phase, the Awami League-backed candidates won in 540 UPs and BNP won in 47 UPs. In the second phase, out of 628 unions Awami League men won in 444 UPs while BNP won ‘chairman’ posts only in 61 unions.
Out of 1,352 UPs in two phases, the Awami League – led candidates have won as ‘chairman’ candidates in 984 UPs while BNP nominated contenders won in only 108 UPs.
The independent ‘chairman’ candidates have won in 116 unions in the second phase where voters turnout was 76.21 per cent. Interestingly, most of them are rebel candidates of Awami League. Besides, the ‘chairman’ candidates of Jatiya Party won in three, JSD in two and JP in two UPs, according to EC.
