Chittagong City Corporation election
Tuesday, 22 June 2010
The election to the Chittagong City Corporation has just been completed. The efforts of the Election Commission (EC) to deliver a free and fair polls must be appreciated, although there is a contrary view that the EC has robbed the victory of the citizens' committee. Does the EC deserve this reprobation? I am afraid not.
There are stringent election laws and regulations. Possibly it was thought that these would fall by the wayside at the time of implementation. This syndrome is aptly called the 'culture of impunity.' No wonder, therefore, there is consternation, a cry of anguish, and an accusation of throttling of democracy by the losers as the stringency of the laws hits home only when the EC asks for and monitors its implementation without exception!
Has the strict implementation of the election laws and regulations reduced the cost of contesting an election? It may surprise many to be told that there are still some in our country who believe in not violating the laws regarding the ceiling on expenditure. For those parties and candidates who do not have the money power to undertake a campaign that can match their opponents poster-to-poster, banner-to-banner, vehicle-to-vehicle and meeting-to-meeting, the strict implementation is welcome. Party representatives, leaders, and candidates belonging to these two categories have time and again come before the EC and appreciated the steps taken by it.
Big spending in elections by parties and candidates is a manifestation of the festering disease of corruption and concealment of income leading to the generation of black money. If a candidate is willing to spend ten times more than the prescribed ceiling, it is not out of philanthropy but in the secure knowledge that he can earn ten times what he spends once he gets to the seat of power. There is concern about the danger posed by the growing power of money in politics and in elections. If we do not want our democracy to be hijacked by the demon of unaccounted wealth earned in unscrupulous ways and spent to grab the levers of power, let us sit up and take notice before it is too late. Let us not delude ourselves. Let us recognise that there is a danger in politics becoming the handmaiden of filthy lucre as unscrupulous candidates may hijack elections with their money power.
Gopal Sengupta
Canada
E-mail : gopalsengupta@aol.com
There are stringent election laws and regulations. Possibly it was thought that these would fall by the wayside at the time of implementation. This syndrome is aptly called the 'culture of impunity.' No wonder, therefore, there is consternation, a cry of anguish, and an accusation of throttling of democracy by the losers as the stringency of the laws hits home only when the EC asks for and monitors its implementation without exception!
Has the strict implementation of the election laws and regulations reduced the cost of contesting an election? It may surprise many to be told that there are still some in our country who believe in not violating the laws regarding the ceiling on expenditure. For those parties and candidates who do not have the money power to undertake a campaign that can match their opponents poster-to-poster, banner-to-banner, vehicle-to-vehicle and meeting-to-meeting, the strict implementation is welcome. Party representatives, leaders, and candidates belonging to these two categories have time and again come before the EC and appreciated the steps taken by it.
Big spending in elections by parties and candidates is a manifestation of the festering disease of corruption and concealment of income leading to the generation of black money. If a candidate is willing to spend ten times more than the prescribed ceiling, it is not out of philanthropy but in the secure knowledge that he can earn ten times what he spends once he gets to the seat of power. There is concern about the danger posed by the growing power of money in politics and in elections. If we do not want our democracy to be hijacked by the demon of unaccounted wealth earned in unscrupulous ways and spent to grab the levers of power, let us sit up and take notice before it is too late. Let us not delude ourselves. Let us recognise that there is a danger in politics becoming the handmaiden of filthy lucre as unscrupulous candidates may hijack elections with their money power.
Gopal Sengupta
Canada
E-mail : gopalsengupta@aol.com