Choosing honest candidate in next polls
Monday, 15 December 2008
Muhammad Quamrul Islam
Now that December 11, the last date of withdrawal of nominations, is over after haggling till last moment for change of party nomination within the Grand Alliance led by Awami League {AL} and the Alliance led by Bangladesh Nationalist Party {BNP}, voters are in a fix if they would vote the party symbol as usual or judge competing candidates on competency basis on the polling date December 29. Although, the time left is very short the onerous task of voting for honest and competent candidates fall on voters in all strata of society. No civil society or teacher is needed to help out the innocent voters in the constituencies countrywide to vote for competent candidates, which they propagated from 2006 to date 2008 through seminars in cozy auditoriums of capital, on TV channels, talk shows and newspaper columns in national dailies.
Political activists and media specialist opine that those activities by foreign-funded NGOs do not reach the poor and the illiterate that constitute the bulk of the voters in Bangladesh. Voters are to be assisted about whom to vote and how to vote in the 300 constituencies on competency basis.
If the voters are not satisfied with those nominations given by the parties or as shown in the media, then it has to be taken to the doorsteps of the voters for obvious reasons as few of them can read or have the means to watch TV. The talks are not meant for public either, but for self-publicity and for vouchers on expenses with printed documents -- an issue to which attention of foreign donors are invited to stop this as it has only polluted politics so far.
It is also not understood how the election observers benefit the voters and the election process, as some organisations under the Election Working Group (EWG) aligned to political parties too, as reported in media. It is not proper to defend those organisations, even though those are cleared by Election Commission (EC). An issue, if not morally sustainable, should be avoided instead of looking for legal loopholes, a senior lawyer of the Supreme Court commented. As many as 200,000 observers would be fielded by EWG in all the polling booths throughout this country; but has the EWG been told that no such observers was needed even before mid-1990s not to speak of before 1971?
"The legacy is still in the existence in the neighbouring Indian state of West Bengal. It is only clean politics that can ensure credible elections", the senior lawyer continued. He recalled that he was going from Narshingdi ghat by launch to Solimgonj ghat in Brahmanbaria district, on a personal visit a few days before the parliamentary election of 2001. As he sat in a cabin of the launch along with his elder cousin Rezai Karim Bhuiya known as Rejan Bhai, a passenger, who was a retired teacher and sitting opposite them, asked Rejan Bhai about his uncle Advocate Muezzul Islam, who contested in the 1954 election as an independent candidate from that constituency. When asked about the whereabouts of his son, Rejan Bhai looked at his side and said he was here and that he survives his late uncle. Instantly he asked why he is not coming to politics. There was no reply. His father is being remembered even after 47 years. So look what politics was like at that time. Rejan Bhai lives in his own residence at 56/4 West Pantha Path, Dhaka-1205.
What is the scenario in the scrutiny of nomination papers?
Chief Election Commissioner {CEC] said big defaulters escaped cancellation obtaining stay orders from the court as they could engage star lawyers, a privilege small defaulters could not obviously enjoy for lack of capacity to pay fees. Some of those defaulters might be elected. Then what? The CEC assured rectification of this situation in the future. But how would it be possible by only amending the law, if morality is not improved? What is needed is to create an enabling environment for the honest politicians.
Nomination papers of 121 candidates from AL, BNP, JP, Jamaat, and other parties were cancelled on account of loan and bill default. The question is why these defaulters were nominated and if the candidates had suppressed the information before the parliamentary board or not. Why defaulting candidates submitted nominations? It does not speak well of those candidates and the parties they belong to. But would the party concerned and candidate mind and mend?
So 94 nominations were cancelled, as they could not receive final nomination of the parties. Why parties do made inordinate delay in finalising the list of candidates? What does this hesitation indicate? Due to lack of alternative candidates, the party high commands stuck to those chosen candidates to the last, though many were denied nominations. Keeping them waiting was not a good electoral practice leading to their cancellation. It confused voters in determining party's alliance candidate.
Independents contesting without party/alliance nomination/symbol to ninth parliament is a real independent different from previous national elections in Bangladesh. In the coming national election, independent candidates need to submit 1.0 per cent signatures of respective constituency to qualify. EC cancelled nomination paper of 144 independent as those were not supported by require 1.0 per cent signatures. So, the independent candidates who would contest coming elections have already passed first round throwing challenge to the candidates shown in the ballot papers in due course.
Nomination of 118 candidates was cancelled for errors or for hiding fact in the affidavits.
As such, in total 1899 candidates remained after scrutiny to contest 300 seats by alliances, parties, and independents. BNP cannot field candidates in 15 constituencies, as nominees in those could not stand scrutiny. Why did BNP nominate such candidates? Is it not a signal of weakness of the party? So BNP stands divided, for which its high command is responsible and not those previous party stalwarts who are contesting as independents. This has to be noted by political theorists and activists, who should convey this message to the voters.
One former BNP minister said it was not wrong to ask for reforms in the party. This is about intra-party democracy and to deny that right is undemocratic. BNP high command ought to have considered it instead of denying party nominations to reformists. By doing so BNP high command has divided the party, for which responsibility lies with them. As such it cannot be said that former Secretary General of BNP Mannan Bhuiyan has split the party, rather he was in the right direction in asking for reforms in the interest of party, democracy, and the country. He had no other alternative but to contest election as an independent on the reformist line, which has drawn support of his constituents.
On appeal, EC restored 119 nominations to contest elections and 3 were cancelled. 414 candidates withdrew nominations. So finally, the number of total candidates contesting the ninth parliamentary election will stand at 1597.
Meanwhile, at tragic death of Ganotantri Party president Nurul Islam, a candidate of mega alliance at Noakhali-1, election to that constituency has been withheld. Nurul Islam was a superb candidate in that list, unlike retired bureaucrats, businessman, and relations of party high command. He was a student of Dhaka University, and elected VP of Zahurul Huq Hall Students Union in 1960s. He spent 40 years in politics with an ideology dedicated to the welfare of the people. How many people know of his life and credentials? He was sure to win this election as he was liked by his constituency, for his dedication to the cause of toiling the masses. It might have infuriated those opponents who killed him Let us see its political fallout, and wait for report of investigation and action-legal and political.
Would University teachers say why many candidates contesting the elections have no educational qualifications as reported in a national vernacular daily? A civil society leader said they would not, as they toe the partisan line led by Sheikh Hasina or Khaleda Zia, for they are divided over selfish ends. Partisan politics by partisan teachers have destroyed academic atmosphere since 1973. Front organisations of the parties since 1976 have been behind continuous campus violence, session jam, sexual assault of female students, teachers' work abstention programme and so on.
The two-year caretaker government with emergency powers failed to create proper academic environment to at least hold annual Students Union elections countrywide in the tradition of 1960s. So the responsibility is on those who passed university in 1960s surviving in politics to day.
If the university is in such mess, what can be expected of politics now? Students would not be in a position to spread out in the country in the tradition in force until 1970, in favour of good candidates. It would all be power-mongering, fetching votes by sharing seats based on one's grip on the voters of the respective constituency. Otherwise, what could be the basis of alliance? How the mega-alliance led by Awami League shared 49 seats with Jatiya Party's Ershad, against whom Awami League and BNP fought leading to the toppling of his regime on December 6, 1990 as documented in 11th amendment of the Constitution? On the other hand, four-party alliance led by BNP shared 35 seats with Jamaat-e-Islami, known as collaborators and war criminals. On this ground no alliance deserves support. So the voters will have to elect good candidate known to them.
Further, Ershad is bent on double-dealing form his group in the next parliament with Awami League support. But he may negotiate power sharing with any other group in parliament and become President. This may cause instability and ineffective parliament. It is he, who at the end of the 8th parliament hobnobbed with BNP and Awami League for alliance causing the deadlock!
What would be then the scenario of the contest? No doubt voters wanted good candidates in all the constituencies by the parties as indicated by the civil society leaders. But they did not get that. So how would voters find competent candidates and cast their vote on the polling date? The responsibility falls on all types of voters. The literate or the illiterate, the poor or the patriotic or the rich should convey the message to all that the candidates should be considered on merit and not the basis of party/alliance symbol based on hollow slogans. It is a good sign that we have actual reformists who are contesting as independents, who deserve our wholehearted support and vote. Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan and his supporters are in the electoral race. Hopefully, he would be successful and become MP in the Ninth Parliament. Independents so elected may form viable group, share power in Parliament and eventually form a party, which is the need of the hour.
The writer is a senior politician, economist, and columnist
Now that December 11, the last date of withdrawal of nominations, is over after haggling till last moment for change of party nomination within the Grand Alliance led by Awami League {AL} and the Alliance led by Bangladesh Nationalist Party {BNP}, voters are in a fix if they would vote the party symbol as usual or judge competing candidates on competency basis on the polling date December 29. Although, the time left is very short the onerous task of voting for honest and competent candidates fall on voters in all strata of society. No civil society or teacher is needed to help out the innocent voters in the constituencies countrywide to vote for competent candidates, which they propagated from 2006 to date 2008 through seminars in cozy auditoriums of capital, on TV channels, talk shows and newspaper columns in national dailies.
Political activists and media specialist opine that those activities by foreign-funded NGOs do not reach the poor and the illiterate that constitute the bulk of the voters in Bangladesh. Voters are to be assisted about whom to vote and how to vote in the 300 constituencies on competency basis.
If the voters are not satisfied with those nominations given by the parties or as shown in the media, then it has to be taken to the doorsteps of the voters for obvious reasons as few of them can read or have the means to watch TV. The talks are not meant for public either, but for self-publicity and for vouchers on expenses with printed documents -- an issue to which attention of foreign donors are invited to stop this as it has only polluted politics so far.
It is also not understood how the election observers benefit the voters and the election process, as some organisations under the Election Working Group (EWG) aligned to political parties too, as reported in media. It is not proper to defend those organisations, even though those are cleared by Election Commission (EC). An issue, if not morally sustainable, should be avoided instead of looking for legal loopholes, a senior lawyer of the Supreme Court commented. As many as 200,000 observers would be fielded by EWG in all the polling booths throughout this country; but has the EWG been told that no such observers was needed even before mid-1990s not to speak of before 1971?
"The legacy is still in the existence in the neighbouring Indian state of West Bengal. It is only clean politics that can ensure credible elections", the senior lawyer continued. He recalled that he was going from Narshingdi ghat by launch to Solimgonj ghat in Brahmanbaria district, on a personal visit a few days before the parliamentary election of 2001. As he sat in a cabin of the launch along with his elder cousin Rezai Karim Bhuiya known as Rejan Bhai, a passenger, who was a retired teacher and sitting opposite them, asked Rejan Bhai about his uncle Advocate Muezzul Islam, who contested in the 1954 election as an independent candidate from that constituency. When asked about the whereabouts of his son, Rejan Bhai looked at his side and said he was here and that he survives his late uncle. Instantly he asked why he is not coming to politics. There was no reply. His father is being remembered even after 47 years. So look what politics was like at that time. Rejan Bhai lives in his own residence at 56/4 West Pantha Path, Dhaka-1205.
What is the scenario in the scrutiny of nomination papers?
Chief Election Commissioner {CEC] said big defaulters escaped cancellation obtaining stay orders from the court as they could engage star lawyers, a privilege small defaulters could not obviously enjoy for lack of capacity to pay fees. Some of those defaulters might be elected. Then what? The CEC assured rectification of this situation in the future. But how would it be possible by only amending the law, if morality is not improved? What is needed is to create an enabling environment for the honest politicians.
Nomination papers of 121 candidates from AL, BNP, JP, Jamaat, and other parties were cancelled on account of loan and bill default. The question is why these defaulters were nominated and if the candidates had suppressed the information before the parliamentary board or not. Why defaulting candidates submitted nominations? It does not speak well of those candidates and the parties they belong to. But would the party concerned and candidate mind and mend?
So 94 nominations were cancelled, as they could not receive final nomination of the parties. Why parties do made inordinate delay in finalising the list of candidates? What does this hesitation indicate? Due to lack of alternative candidates, the party high commands stuck to those chosen candidates to the last, though many were denied nominations. Keeping them waiting was not a good electoral practice leading to their cancellation. It confused voters in determining party's alliance candidate.
Independents contesting without party/alliance nomination/symbol to ninth parliament is a real independent different from previous national elections in Bangladesh. In the coming national election, independent candidates need to submit 1.0 per cent signatures of respective constituency to qualify. EC cancelled nomination paper of 144 independent as those were not supported by require 1.0 per cent signatures. So, the independent candidates who would contest coming elections have already passed first round throwing challenge to the candidates shown in the ballot papers in due course.
Nomination of 118 candidates was cancelled for errors or for hiding fact in the affidavits.
As such, in total 1899 candidates remained after scrutiny to contest 300 seats by alliances, parties, and independents. BNP cannot field candidates in 15 constituencies, as nominees in those could not stand scrutiny. Why did BNP nominate such candidates? Is it not a signal of weakness of the party? So BNP stands divided, for which its high command is responsible and not those previous party stalwarts who are contesting as independents. This has to be noted by political theorists and activists, who should convey this message to the voters.
One former BNP minister said it was not wrong to ask for reforms in the party. This is about intra-party democracy and to deny that right is undemocratic. BNP high command ought to have considered it instead of denying party nominations to reformists. By doing so BNP high command has divided the party, for which responsibility lies with them. As such it cannot be said that former Secretary General of BNP Mannan Bhuiyan has split the party, rather he was in the right direction in asking for reforms in the interest of party, democracy, and the country. He had no other alternative but to contest election as an independent on the reformist line, which has drawn support of his constituents.
On appeal, EC restored 119 nominations to contest elections and 3 were cancelled. 414 candidates withdrew nominations. So finally, the number of total candidates contesting the ninth parliamentary election will stand at 1597.
Meanwhile, at tragic death of Ganotantri Party president Nurul Islam, a candidate of mega alliance at Noakhali-1, election to that constituency has been withheld. Nurul Islam was a superb candidate in that list, unlike retired bureaucrats, businessman, and relations of party high command. He was a student of Dhaka University, and elected VP of Zahurul Huq Hall Students Union in 1960s. He spent 40 years in politics with an ideology dedicated to the welfare of the people. How many people know of his life and credentials? He was sure to win this election as he was liked by his constituency, for his dedication to the cause of toiling the masses. It might have infuriated those opponents who killed him Let us see its political fallout, and wait for report of investigation and action-legal and political.
Would University teachers say why many candidates contesting the elections have no educational qualifications as reported in a national vernacular daily? A civil society leader said they would not, as they toe the partisan line led by Sheikh Hasina or Khaleda Zia, for they are divided over selfish ends. Partisan politics by partisan teachers have destroyed academic atmosphere since 1973. Front organisations of the parties since 1976 have been behind continuous campus violence, session jam, sexual assault of female students, teachers' work abstention programme and so on.
The two-year caretaker government with emergency powers failed to create proper academic environment to at least hold annual Students Union elections countrywide in the tradition of 1960s. So the responsibility is on those who passed university in 1960s surviving in politics to day.
If the university is in such mess, what can be expected of politics now? Students would not be in a position to spread out in the country in the tradition in force until 1970, in favour of good candidates. It would all be power-mongering, fetching votes by sharing seats based on one's grip on the voters of the respective constituency. Otherwise, what could be the basis of alliance? How the mega-alliance led by Awami League shared 49 seats with Jatiya Party's Ershad, against whom Awami League and BNP fought leading to the toppling of his regime on December 6, 1990 as documented in 11th amendment of the Constitution? On the other hand, four-party alliance led by BNP shared 35 seats with Jamaat-e-Islami, known as collaborators and war criminals. On this ground no alliance deserves support. So the voters will have to elect good candidate known to them.
Further, Ershad is bent on double-dealing form his group in the next parliament with Awami League support. But he may negotiate power sharing with any other group in parliament and become President. This may cause instability and ineffective parliament. It is he, who at the end of the 8th parliament hobnobbed with BNP and Awami League for alliance causing the deadlock!
What would be then the scenario of the contest? No doubt voters wanted good candidates in all the constituencies by the parties as indicated by the civil society leaders. But they did not get that. So how would voters find competent candidates and cast their vote on the polling date? The responsibility falls on all types of voters. The literate or the illiterate, the poor or the patriotic or the rich should convey the message to all that the candidates should be considered on merit and not the basis of party/alliance symbol based on hollow slogans. It is a good sign that we have actual reformists who are contesting as independents, who deserve our wholehearted support and vote. Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan and his supporters are in the electoral race. Hopefully, he would be successful and become MP in the Ninth Parliament. Independents so elected may form viable group, share power in Parliament and eventually form a party, which is the need of the hour.
The writer is a senior politician, economist, and columnist