Making 12th parliamentary elections free and fair

Illustration: TBS

The prevailing political deadlock in the country centres around the 12th parliamentary elections, to be held in about two months. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has committed to the national and international community that she would make these elections free and fair under the existing constitutional framework. 

The BNP-led opposition has rebutted her commitment, arguing that she failed to keep her promises given during past parliamentary elections. Accordingly, they have demanded the government's resignation and holding upcoming elections under a nonparty caretaker government as a condition for participating in these elections. 

Holding free and fair elections is necessary for institutionalising the democratic system of governance. It is also a fact that all parliamentary elections held since independence have been more and less controversial. The nonparty caretaker system of election-time government, practised from 1991 to 2009, did not resolve this problem permanently. The government demolished the system in May 2012.. 

The 12th parliamentary elections give the nation a unique opportunity to resolve the problems of free and fair elections for good. For this reason, it is a national responsibility that must be shared by all stakeholders involved in the polling process – political parties, elected government officials, assigned civil servants, election commission, and above all, people who shoulder the most critical civic duty – voting on the election day. 

Political parties are primary beneficiaries of general elections held in a democratic country. This is why our political parties have corrupted our election systems to remain in power by any means. Accordingly, they must sit together to determine the game's rules, which they can consider a level-playing field. 

Second, the political component of the government must understand that conducting elections is not its responsibility. Its responsibility is to govern the country for the tenure of the parliament. Our constitution provides an independent Election Commission (EC) for free and fair elections. The government's constitutional obligation is to help the EC accomplish its responsibility by refraining from interfering in its activities. 

Third, public servants assisting the EC in conducting elections and maintaining law and order around the polling centres must do their constitutional duty. 

Finally, the voters can no longer remain silent and let political parties use them for their vested interests. For this, the only thing they need to do is make their voice loud and clear. They can chant this slogan individually or in small groups: We will vote in the 12th parliamentary elections because it is our sovereign right and civic duty. For this, we want free and fair elections under an elected government.

When heard loud and clear from every corner of Bangladesh, this voice will tell all of our political parties that they can transgress people's sovereign rights and interfere in exercising their civic duty. 

Besides this primary step needed to solidify voters' awareness, the government and the EC might pursue two more measures to ensure free and fair elections. These measures will help dispel doubts in the public mind about the government's sincerity in holding free and fair elections. 

Holding a roundtable for the registered political parties: In every democratic country, general elections are held based on the legal framework approved by the parliament and inscribed in the constitution. Under the current constitutional provision, the EC must complete all election formalities within three months before the prevailing parliament's terms expire. During this period, all regular activities of the parliament will remain suspended, and the PM will form a caretaker administration under their leadership.  

However, the BNP-led opposition does not trust that the PM could keep her promise. We cannot discount this objection off-hand. In this situation, the PM, as the head of government, might call a roundtable conference for all political parties to suggest measures for ensuring the nation and the international community that the EC is fully capable of conducting free and fair elections under the current constitutional framework. In other words, registered political parties will negotiate to finalise election rules for creating level-playing fields in the forthcoming national elections. 

Organising voluntary non-voter citizen groups: One worry in holding free and fair elections concerns sufficient voter security in polling centres because the Commission has finalised 42 thousand of such centres with several times higher voting booths. The government lacks sufficient law-enforcing personnel to ensure satisfactory safety around polling centres and surrounding areas. 

The EC can significantly satisfy this safety need by organising volunteer groups of high school students under 18. Priority may be given to include proportionately more girls in the groups than boys.  

The primary function of these non-citizen volunteers will include maintaining discipline in the voting booth and helping the voters to cast their ballots. The law-enforcing authority will keep law and order situation around the voting booths by encircling and guarding the non-voter volunteers. 

In the life of every nation, some specific events happen under the leadership of one or more individuals that change the direction of its history. In our national life, several events have occurred, of which the most momentous one is the War of Liberation in 1971. Bangabandhu Shiek Mujibur Rahman was the undisputed leader of this liberation war. It is a tragedy in our national life that he could not accomplish his job of creating his dream Bangladesh.

After 52 years, his daughter, PM Sheikh Hasina Wazed, has gotten another opportunity to finish his job to lead Bangladesh to progressive development and institutionalising democracy to create a secular Bangladesh that will fight for social justice. Elections for the 12th parliament are such a national event. 

If she can show the nation and the world that Bangladeshis can organise free and fair elections, the country will step on a new path of socially just economic development in a proud democratic atmosphere. 

It is a challenge for the EC. History will judge five EC commissioners, including Kazi Habibul Awal, the CEC, based on their performance. 

Dr Khandakar Qudrat-I Elahi/ Economist. Illustration: TBS

The author is a former Department of Agricultural Finance faculty at Bangladesh Agricultural University. He lives in Guelph, Ontario, Canada.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.