Editorial Desk :
A national daily reported on Friday that the government has withdrawn 22 cases against 16 Ward Councillor candidates who are vying for election with the ruling party blessings to the two City Corporations in the metropolis. The government has withdrawn the cases claiming they were “false and politically motivated” to clear them to run their election campaign.
Another report on the same day however said, police have arrested the lone BNP backed Ward Councillor candidate from the city’s Mirpur area claiming he is wanted in five cases and to police all accused are equal; no matter whether they are standing for election or not. Some other disclosures of the day said police raided the home of BNP backed councillor candidate at Uttara in the north area of the city in the previous night.
In the past few days two other opposition-backed councillor candidates have
been threatened with death if they do not quit their electioneering campaigns. Meanwhile, the lone BNP backed mayoral candidate in Dhaka South is failing to appear before the public to run his election campaign fearing police arrest for he is accused in several police cases.
The government blessed candidates are now freely going to voters and seeking votes while their major opponents are passing time under constant threats of arrest on mostly politically motivated police cases. Needless to say, it shows the present state of the rule of law in the country and the controversy that may arise from an election, which is going to be discriminatory from the beginning of the process.
The demand for the level playing field in the city polls is part of the voters inherent constitutional rights to freely elect candidates of their choice and various citizens groups are repeatedly asking the government and the Election Commission (EC) in particular to ensure it to all. Any violation of the basic laws will make the entire election controversial. But the unfolding events in the run up for city polls are only proving it otherwise to justify the fear in the opposition camp that the government will use all its power to win the election.
It is not supported that any candidate who has conviction in criminal cases should not be found disqualified for the election. But those who are qualified must not be stopped from campaigning only for the reason that they have pending cases and police want them to be arrested.
It is apprehended that the election engineers of the government, not being political, are too eager to take credit by arranging election victory of their candidates by any means. So it is feared and apprehended that the government supported candidates will get every facility as against the contesting candidates. These candidates will get more aggressive in their efforts to produce victories for them. All such activities are understandable.
So everything depends on the Election Commission to see that all the candidates get equal facilities whatever be the wish of the government.
It is blatantly unfair that the candidates who are qualified to take part in the contest of the elections will be denied freely campaigning because they have against them politically motivated cases but not yet convicted.
Here the Chief Election Commissioner has to play his role of ensuring equal opportunity for all the candidates. It is only he who is in charge of the elections and his independence in conducting the mayoral elections must be seen to be effective.
Otherwise the opposition candidates will have all the justification to feel aggrieved that the Chief Election Commissioner has failed to play his role because he lacked courage of his position.
The Chief Election Commissioner must asked the police not to arrest any candidate till the elections are over. It will also be right and fair for the Chief Election Commissioner to insist on allowing any candidate to be on short time bail so that no candidate is denied equal opportunity for conducting election campaign and meeting the voters personally. For candidates not to be able to meet the voters and explain their position face to face is a big disadvantage. Surely, the Chief Election Commissioner must not fail to save the election from becoming controversial and unacceptable.
A national daily reported on Friday that the government has withdrawn 22 cases against 16 Ward Councillor candidates who are vying for election with the ruling party blessings to the two City Corporations in the metropolis. The government has withdrawn the cases claiming they were “false and politically motivated” to clear them to run their election campaign.
Another report on the same day however said, police have arrested the lone BNP backed Ward Councillor candidate from the city’s Mirpur area claiming he is wanted in five cases and to police all accused are equal; no matter whether they are standing for election or not. Some other disclosures of the day said police raided the home of BNP backed councillor candidate at Uttara in the north area of the city in the previous night.
In the past few days two other opposition-backed councillor candidates have
been threatened with death if they do not quit their electioneering campaigns. Meanwhile, the lone BNP backed mayoral candidate in Dhaka South is failing to appear before the public to run his election campaign fearing police arrest for he is accused in several police cases.
The government blessed candidates are now freely going to voters and seeking votes while their major opponents are passing time under constant threats of arrest on mostly politically motivated police cases. Needless to say, it shows the present state of the rule of law in the country and the controversy that may arise from an election, which is going to be discriminatory from the beginning of the process.
The demand for the level playing field in the city polls is part of the voters inherent constitutional rights to freely elect candidates of their choice and various citizens groups are repeatedly asking the government and the Election Commission (EC) in particular to ensure it to all. Any violation of the basic laws will make the entire election controversial. But the unfolding events in the run up for city polls are only proving it otherwise to justify the fear in the opposition camp that the government will use all its power to win the election.
It is not supported that any candidate who has conviction in criminal cases should not be found disqualified for the election. But those who are qualified must not be stopped from campaigning only for the reason that they have pending cases and police want them to be arrested.
It is apprehended that the election engineers of the government, not being political, are too eager to take credit by arranging election victory of their candidates by any means. So it is feared and apprehended that the government supported candidates will get every facility as against the contesting candidates. These candidates will get more aggressive in their efforts to produce victories for them. All such activities are understandable.
So everything depends on the Election Commission to see that all the candidates get equal facilities whatever be the wish of the government.
It is blatantly unfair that the candidates who are qualified to take part in the contest of the elections will be denied freely campaigning because they have against them politically motivated cases but not yet convicted.
Here the Chief Election Commissioner has to play his role of ensuring equal opportunity for all the candidates. It is only he who is in charge of the elections and his independence in conducting the mayoral elections must be seen to be effective.
Otherwise the opposition candidates will have all the justification to feel aggrieved that the Chief Election Commissioner has failed to play his role because he lacked courage of his position.
The Chief Election Commissioner must asked the police not to arrest any candidate till the elections are over. It will also be right and fair for the Chief Election Commissioner to insist on allowing any candidate to be on short time bail so that no candidate is denied equal opportunity for conducting election campaign and meeting the voters personally. For candidates not to be able to meet the voters and explain their position face to face is a big disadvantage. Surely, the Chief Election Commissioner must not fail to save the election from becoming controversial and unacceptable.
