THE attacks on BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s motorcade by the ruling party activists in the capital’s Karwan Bazar area on Monday and at Nayapaltan on Tuesday have put the alarm signal as to whether the mayoral election would remain peaceful at all. Noticeably, police were only at a short distance but did not intervene. The attacks are clear violation of the election code of conduct for a peaceful and fair election and the violent involvement of the ruling party men has raised serious concern in public mind if the government is ready to allow election politics at all. That the attacks on Begum Khaleda Zia’s election campaign were made by the supporters of the ruling party Awami League has been confirmed by the press.
The BNP Chairperson had also come under similar attack on Sunday at the city’s Uttara town when she was campaigning for the party-backed mayoral candidate in Dhaka North City Corporation. In the following two days, her motorcade came under repeated attacks again showing the utter intolerance of the ruling party to give the democratic space to the opposition. Yet the Election Commission did not even express concern at using violence so openly. Its weak performance is coming under attack from the independent sources also. Its reaction to violation of election conduct is too timid.
The government supporters will not be sensible to see that by attacking the opposition violently, they are helping the opposition to gain public support and sympathy.
The Election Commission (EC) must act decisively now using its independent powers on whoever is turning out to be violators of the election rules. For his position as Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmed must show confidence in himself. He has not earned proper reputation as a strong CEC so far. The open and violent attacks on the campaign of the opposition should have drawn the attention of the Election Commission especially when the press has made it clear that the government supporters in a motivated way resorted to violence dangerously.
We however welcome the Chief Election Commissioner’s decision to deploy the army for four days centering the April 28 election as a positive step. These mayoral elections are great test whether election politics will have any meaning and purpose for good governance of the country.
