Speakers at a seminar on Saturday stressed the need for an election-time neutral government system to make general elections fair, neutral and credible until the current political reality is changed.
They suggested the reintroduction of the ‘no vote’ system, narrowing the scope of uncontested election, widening the scope for the government employees to play an impartial role during elections and for making them more accountable in the case of irregularities.
Reporters Forum for Election and Democracy (RFED) arranged the seminar titled ‘What Reform to the Electoral System is Desirable?’ at the city’s Cirdap auditorium.
Textiles and Jute Adviser and also former election commissioner M Sakhawat Hossain, Chief of Electoral Reform Commission Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar, political leaders, student representatives and journalists spoke at the seminar.
Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar said the Election Commission, the administration or the government, the political parties, media and civil society are important stakeholders to make an election fair and credible.
Democracy is more than elections: Tarique
Talking about the role of government, he said there was a caretaker government system, but it was scrapped in a quite unconstitutional and unjust way. “An election-time neutral government system is needed no matter what we call it – it may be the caretaker government system or another system,” he said.
Describing the election as a long-term process, Dr Majumdar said the process started from the preparation of electoral rolls. “This election process must be fair, impartial and credible. Otherwise the elections would be controversial and incredible in many ways if we keep our focus on just the Election Day. So, we need to review the whole process,” he said.
Noting that democracy is a basic structure of the constitution, he said if the election does not make democratic system effective, it is a violation of the constitution.
“We witnessed this violation in the past,” he said, expressing his optimism that there would be no such violation in the future.
A political consensus and change of political culture are required over holding a fair election, he said, adding that the political parties had played the responsible roles during the 1991 general election, which is one of the best elections in Bangladesh.
The chief of the Electoral Reform Commission asked the political parties to submit their election-related written proposals to the commission.
Adviser Sakhawat Hossain recommended the effectiveness of the Election Commission’s (EC’s) actions against the government employees over election irregularities should be harsher.
“If a government employee makes any deviation while working with the Election Commission for 15 days, the report of the Election Commission should be the final report for his or her career,” he said.
If they (government employees) can be made accountable in this way, many problems would go, he added.
The former election commissioner said the caretaker government won’t be required so much in case of a bicameral parliamentary system. “In that case, the EC will have to be given a kind of authority over the ministries during the elections.”
He criticised the RPO amendment that reduced the EC’s authority over cancellation of an entire election.
Sakhawat said proportional representation (PR) can be introduced in the case of the election to 50 women reserve seats.
BNP Vice Chairman Asaduzzaman Ripon said a caretaker government or election-time government system should be introduced. “I think the caretaker government should be here for 100 years.”
He said there should be no provision for uncontested elections. In case of a single candidate against a post, the polls should be rescheduled, he added.
The BNP leader said the law regarding appointment of Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners undoubtedly needs to be amended.
BNP Chairperson’s Adviser Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal said as per his party's 31-point state reform proposal, if BNP is elected, it would form a national government with representatives of other political parties.
“No one shall be the Prime Minister or the President for over two consecutive terms. It is a proposal of the BNP. There should be a balance between the authority of the President and the Prime Minister, which was included in the BNP's reform proposal,” he said.
During the election time, no writ petition should be acceptable in any higher court or any other court without taking opinions of the Election Commission, said Moazzem.
Jamaat leader Dr Shafiqul Islam Masud said, “The caretaker government system should be reinstated permanently in the constitution.”
He suggested EVM or DVM systems should be scrapped as the machines are used as tools to deceive people.
The Jamaat leader also recommended making local government elections as non-partisan ones, cancellation of the political party registration system, introduction of PR system and withdrawal of the provision for an independent aspirant to collect the signatures of one percent voters.
Chief Coordinator of Ganosamhati Andolan Zonayed Saki said the next 3-5 general elections should be held under the non-partisan election-time government or the interim government.
“The institutions won't be developed or the mindset would be changed immediately after the reform. So, the next 3-5 elections should be under an interim government,” he said.
Saki said no hate speech should be allowed in the electoral campaign and the ‘No vote’ system should be reinstated.
He said the provisions in the political party registration act should be eased to promote the formation of new political parties.
President of Gana Adhikar Parishad Nurul Haque Nur said the local government elections need to be held in non-partisan manner.
“A neutral administration and neutral government system will have to be ensured, if you want fair elections in future,” he said, adding that the PR will have to be ensured.
Jatiya Party presidium member Shameem Haider Patwary said no more than 10 percent uncontested MPs should not be in an election and the PR system should be introduced.
General Secretary of Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) Ruhin Hossain Prince recommended restoration of election-time government, reinstatement of ‘No vote’ system, introduction of PR system and dissolution of Parliament ahead of election.
Journalist Sohrab Hassan said the 15th amendment to the constitution needs to be cancelled first and women representation should be ensured through direct election.
Besides, AB Party Member Secretary Mojibur Rahman Manju and Nagorik Committee member and representative of the students Ariful Rahman Adit, and RFED general secretary Humayun Kabir also spoke at the function moderated by RFED president Akramul Hoque Sayem.