Editorial Desk :
Despite strong opposition from different anti-graft bodies, civil society organizations and even an incumbent commissioner, the Election Commission (EC) has prepared a draft of the Representation of the People Order (RPO)- 1972 curtailing its power to cancel the candidature of a candidate. It also approved the draft of the Political Party Registration Bill, 2020 at the same sitting incorporating some articles from the 1972 RPO.
Meanwhile, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), in a statement, on Thursday urged the Election Commissioners to resign immediately from their posts as the EC moved to curtail its direct power to cancel the candidature of a candidate in national elections.
Expressing its disappointment, the anti-graft body also termed the move a suicidal one, as it would weaken the EC. TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman said, “The nation will be benefitted if all the commissioners, including the CEC, voluntarily step down”.
Despite strong opposition from different anti-graft bodies, civil society organizations and even an incumbent commissioner, the Election Commission (EC) has prepared a draft of the Representation of the People Order (RPO)- 1972 curtailing its power to cancel the candidature of a candidate. It also approved the draft of the Political Party Registration Bill, 2020 at the same sitting incorporating some articles from the 1972 RPO.
Meanwhile, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), in a statement, on Thursday urged the Election Commissioners to resign immediately from their posts as the EC moved to curtail its direct power to cancel the candidature of a candidate in national elections.
Expressing its disappointment, the anti-graft body also termed the move a suicidal one, as it would weaken the EC. TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman said, “The nation will be benefitted if all the commissioners, including the CEC, voluntarily step down”.
Earlier, Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik
(Sujon) also expressed its concern over the steps taken to formulate a separate law for political parties’ registration with the commission, after repealing some RPO clauses.
In a statement, Shujan secretary Badiul Alam Majumder said such decision by the statutory body could be “suicidal”. As an independent body, he said, the EC is accountable to the countrymen, not any political party.
Our people have lost all their freedoms, including freedom to vote. The government does not need free election to be in power. The rigged election has become the way for the government to remain in power. Why pious words should be used for resignation of the Election Commission? The honest thing to say is that we do not need the Election Commission for rigged election and unelected government.
Those who demand resignation of the Election Commission for denying itself some power, must also demand the resignation of the government benefitting from the lack of power of the Commission to hold honest elections. We do not need the Election Commission. That should be the honest demand.
The laws have no effectiveness if the government wishes otherwise. The laws are lies for the fear we live in. In reality, the law is what police says it is. The law enforcing police can kill people in crossfire. We do not have the people’s government. We do not have the people’s police. But human rights NGOs are making good money by talking about laws and human rights or going to courts with public interest cases for violation of public rights. We do not say that such activities of theirs have no usefulness. But we want them to be honest all the way. We must first have a government of law to ensure law and rights under law.
Our people are fed up suffering too much for the hypocrisy of our elite.
It is difficult for other countries to believe that we have educated people to protect their voting right. That they understand what it means to lose the right to vote. He ceases to be a citizen of free country.
In a statement, Shujan secretary Badiul Alam Majumder said such decision by the statutory body could be “suicidal”. As an independent body, he said, the EC is accountable to the countrymen, not any political party.
Our people have lost all their freedoms, including freedom to vote. The government does not need free election to be in power. The rigged election has become the way for the government to remain in power. Why pious words should be used for resignation of the Election Commission? The honest thing to say is that we do not need the Election Commission for rigged election and unelected government.
Those who demand resignation of the Election Commission for denying itself some power, must also demand the resignation of the government benefitting from the lack of power of the Commission to hold honest elections. We do not need the Election Commission. That should be the honest demand.
The laws have no effectiveness if the government wishes otherwise. The laws are lies for the fear we live in. In reality, the law is what police says it is. The law enforcing police can kill people in crossfire. We do not have the people’s government. We do not have the people’s police. But human rights NGOs are making good money by talking about laws and human rights or going to courts with public interest cases for violation of public rights. We do not say that such activities of theirs have no usefulness. But we want them to be honest all the way. We must first have a government of law to ensure law and rights under law.
Our people are fed up suffering too much for the hypocrisy of our elite.
It is difficult for other countries to believe that we have educated people to protect their voting right. That they understand what it means to lose the right to vote. He ceases to be a citizen of free country.
