THE withdrawal date of nomination for Municipal election passed on December 13 and media reports said seven mayoral candidates appeared to have no contestants in their seats where people will not be required to elect their mayors. The list of the unopposed candidates will be hefty soon as the ruling party is chasing the party rebels and the opposition candidates to vacate the race. As things appears it will not prove unfair for many to observe that this Municipal election is going to be another prototype of the last January 5 election in which majority of the Parliamentary seats were won by ruling party candidates unopposed in absence of opposition candidates.
The unusual nature of this Municipal election has been highlighted by the fact that 45 councillors seats and 16 women reserved seats in 234 municipalities are not having any contestants to call for election. The highest number of candidates are going to be elected unopposed in Feni where not only the mayor but all 18 councillors except one and all 12 women in reserved seats are going to be elected unopposed. The absence of contestants simply shows that there is no election climate. Similar cases have also been reported at Parshuram and Chatkhil Municipalities.
It appears strange that when the ruling party is unilaterally dominating the election denying level playing field to the opposition, the Election Commission is essentially playing the role of a spectator without knowing what purpose this election is going to serve the people to have their representatives working for them. The silence of the EC from strictly enforcing the code of conduct also appears reprehensive when it advises some candidates to complain with the Local Administration against some Ministers and MPs for taking part in election campaigns for some ruling party mayoral nominees at some places. The EC knows it well that if Election Commission cannot stop them the local administration is more helpless.
The ruling party is totally ignoring the laws and has already suspended all rebel candidates for mayoral election from the party to ensure victory of its candidates. More suspension is underway.
We will much desire that the coming Municipal elections will give people freedom to elect their chosen candidates. But we do not see any such hope.
