SM Mizanur Rahman :It is a big challenge for the ruling Awami League to ensure free and fair and a credible and acceptable local body polls, experts say on Tuesday.They said that pressure should be mounted on all political parties not to choose as candidates those who are facing criminal charges and misusing influence of money and muscle power in the local body polls, otherwise it might backfire.However, they said that decision to hold the election in all five tiers of the local government bodies on a political basis will strengthen parties’ grassroots level organisational activities if these take place in a free, fair and impartial manner.Talking to The New Nation local government experts Dr. Tofail Ahmed and Executive Director of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Dr Iftekharuzzaman echoing the same argument said, at first the government will have to ensure all political parties participation in the local body polls. They said if the ruling party tries to influence the local body elections by using government officials and law enforcers, the situation might take a serious turn. Tofail Ahmed said the local body polls had been held on a non-formal but on a political basis in the past. “Its positive side is ruling party will have to sit for the acid test whether it will be able to arrange the election in a credible and acceptable manner. If the government tries to take any move to ensure victory of its party nominated candidates, it will lose its credibility,” he said.He said, the central and the influential leaders of all political parties will have to come forward to pick up their dedicated, honest and active leaders from the grassroots level.”If the dedicated, honest and active leaders are given nomination, there will be a possibility of fresh leadership from the grassroots,” he said. Iftekharuzzaman said, local government elections in major parliamentary system of democratic countries including Britain and neighbouring India are held on the basis of party nomination. “But we express our concern whether the all political parties would be able to take part in the elections or not. We will have to closely observe for some days to know about the reaction of grassroots leaders,” he said. He termed the decision as positive, as the government wants to bring changes in the local government system for empowerment of elected representatives at the grassroots level and development of political and democratic culture in the country.”But if the local body elections are politicised due to government interference, the democracy will depart from the country,” he said. When contacted, Nazrul Islam, member of Baiosona Union of Narail district, also a local Awami League leader, said, they are waiting for party’s decision.”I shall obey my party’s decision. If party nominates me, I shall contest the election,” he said. Contrarily Bangladesh Nationalist Party rejected Cabinet’s approval terming it the government’s plan to hold local government polls on partisan basis ill-motivated.On Tuesday BNP standing committee member Brigadier General (Rtd) ASM Hannan Shah asked the government to arrange referendum whether country’s people want local body elections on a political basis or not.”Those who elect you take their opinion through referendum,” he said while addressing a function at the National Press Club. Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Engineer Khandker Mosharraf Hossain on Tuesday said that the election to the local body on party line would ensure democracy at the grassroots level.”Government has no evil motive in holding local body polls with party ticket. Rather the polls would be more vibrant and festive,” he told journalists at his Secretariat Office in city.On Monday, in a major shift to strengthen the local administrative system, the government decided to hold the election of all five tiers of the local government bodies on a political basis like other major democracies, switching from the centuries-old non-partisan local government system.
