Like before the government has formed a six-man search committee to select persons to constitute an Election Commission by appointing a Chief Election Commissioner and other Commissioners. The people do not care a fig about the show of forming the Election Commission to make them believe that this government has any honest courage to hold free election.
The law named — “Appointment of Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners Act 2022” was hurriedly passed in the Jatiya Sangsad on January 27, 2022 with issuing an extraordinary gazette on January 30, 2022 though the Law Minister earlier had said it would take time. Meanwhile, the Cabinet Division on Sunday urged the registered political parties to recommend up to 10 names for CEC and ECs by 5pm Thursday. The individuals interested can also send their names to serve as either CEC or EC.
President Abdul Hamid has formed the search committee making Justice Obaidul Hassan of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court as its head. The crucial matter is that – the committee will have to complete the task before the expiry of the current Election Commission’s tenure on February 14. If there is no obligation to submit names by aforesaid period, the committee will take time to submit names till February 24.
But our previous experience regarding the election arrangement by this present government was never appreciable. Not only the local government polls, all the by-polls and the national elections of 2014 and 2018 were state-managed with using the administration and police openly knowing that people are frightened to oppose and the opposition political parties are also in name only. They freely compromise if right price is paid.
We do remember the elections of 1954 and 1970 those were widely acclaimed as fair polls. But after independence, the election had lost its purpose. In this backdrop, the Caretaker Government of 1990 was an obvious outcome to uphold unbiased election system. The present government played the leading role not to hold general elections under the sitting
government. Now, the Awami League government has changed the Constitution so that it remains in power for stealing the elections wholesale with no hope for change by the people through a free election.
Once ‘Magura election’ drew huge criticism for not being fair. In the face agitations the Fifth Sangsad was dissolved and preparations were taken for holding the general elections under a Caretakers Government. The constitutional provisions were passed unanimously for forming the Sixth Sangsad to enact constitutional amendment for Caretaker Government. Being failed, the then ruling BNP moved to legalise the Caretaker Government.
So, it was the Awami League and its allies who wanted the Caretaker Government system for holding general elections. But it was the same Awami League who has abolished the system permanently.
It has been well established that Election Commission is helpless against the government machinery. Huge amounts of money are used to orchestrate the election robbery to the knowledge of all. It was a national shame and disgrace for educated people that police had to be used to ensure massive election victory for the government against the people. The election robbery has made the whole system of government a ruthless violator of human rights, and corrupt.
The government has no worry about the opportunist educated people. But they are fearful to face the general people in a free and fair election. That makes the government anti-people and oppressive collectively.
If free general elections are to be held then we need a search committee to form a government that will not resort to vote dacoity to remain in power. The farcical Election Commission has no usefulness. It has proved so again and again.
