Dr. Foqan Uddin Ahmed :
Article 119 of the Bangladesh Constitution empowers the Election Commission to hold parliamentary elections. International laws and treaties also oblige us to hold genuine elections. For example, according to Article 25 of The International Covenant on Civic and Political Rights, a treaty we signed in 2000, “every citizen shall have the opportunity to vote and to be elected at genuine periodic elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret ballot, guaranteeing the free expression of the will of the electors.” Similarly, Article 21 of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we are required to hold genuine elections, and “the will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government.”
It goes without saying that elections where voters have the opportunity to vote, and are free, fair and competitive, can be called genuine and credible elections. The eleventh parliament election is knocking at the door. Voting in election is a fundamental right of the citizens. Election and development both are closely related as the country and people are in the same line of comparative picture with development. The journey of development and its discipline must be continued. No democratic state can develop without its people’s representative.
If development and election are not corrupt free, people cannot enjoy it properly. About the election people are in tension, whether there creates any political unrest or any turmoiling situation. If anyone tries to create it or somehow the situation is created, the general people will not tolerate it.
By this time, many political analysts had given their comments on coming national election. But whatever the comments they are making, it should be in line with the sentiment of the general people. The general people want a free, fair and credible election. In that regards, they want a strong election commission so that election is not manipulated as it happened in the past.
People want a participatory and festive election ensuring the level playing field. People do not want the past bad incidents. Even there are bad elements in parties who have their bad records can not be accepted by general people. With all these, the coming election will be much more challenging. Perhaps in the election the political parties will nominate their dedicated candidates but they will have to face from strong opposition, even a rebel candidate from within the party. People want an election in which all parties will participate, and the ruling party AL should create such an atmosphere for upholding democracy. If the ruling party and others fail to correct themselves, the people may take to the streets again, seeking a change in the current perverted political culture. And if the people do so, politics must go through a real change, reflecting what the mass people sincerely expect.
Our politicians have institutionalized a culture of fear mongering by holding the people hostage through hartals. If hartal means the right to demonstrate, I have no problem.
But hartal that endangers our lives and property while posing a threat to our fundamental rights is a direct attack on democracy and contravenes the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The hartals that we have been witnessing over the past two decades are contorting the norms of democracy. In fact hartals have already sounded the death knell of democracy in Bangladesh. I shudder to think of what awaits us. In the present situation we have to find solutions to all issues that divide us, particularly the upcoming general election, through dialogue and democratic means.
All parties and citizens have a sacred and collective responsibility to work for the restoration of peace and calm; let us rise above all partisan and other considerations. This is the only way for the survival of our freedom and democracy. Peace can only be achieved on the bedrock of intellectual and moral solidarity of mankind. If conflict or violence begins in the hearts and minds of the people it is in their hearts and minds that defense of peace should be built.
Thus, the turmoil that Bangladeshi political arena currently faces is ultimately a manifestation of these conflicts, which has been further magnified by the current electoral debates that have caught our attention and imagination.
But, can a free, fair and participatory election provide an amicable solution to the deep divisions that have pushed us to this brink of madness? Can simply a change of political power be the magic bullet that moves us forward as a nation? Historical developments within societies carry imperative information on political order with grave mistrust and frictions. Bangladesh has not proved to be an exception.
So by making election controversial, we cannot lose our reputation. All the patriotic people of the country must forward to bring success in the election. In no way, situation must not be made untowards or clumsy. By magic or miracle it should be come under control.
