A day after the end of his five-year tenure on February 14, the outgoing chief election commissioner, KM Nurul Huda, had to leave the office of the Election Commission (EC) with a tone of frustration as the last minute official order of the commission was not obeyed by a returning officer in a Keraniganj union parishad election. Therefore, the commission, a constitutional body, was thrown into a total embarrassment as the official had shown audacity by not announcing the results as directed by the EC.
The story does not end here. Like in the past, a sharp division was also witnessed among the election commissioners. There were two separate briefings held on the day at the commission. The scenario indicates how disordered the constitutional body was. Indeed, the EC had no control over the field level officials and the law enforcers during the election time, though they all are supposed to be under the direct control of the commission. Even he disagreed with the people and critics at home and abroad that the national elections of December 2018 were held the night before the Election Day.
According to a leading Bengali daily, the outgoing CEC held a formal farewell briefing along with two other election commissioners — Md. Rafiqul Islam and Begum Kabita Khanom – to highlight the successes achieved during their last five years’ tenure. Even EC secretary Md. Humaytun Kabir did not attend it. However, another commissioner Brigadier General (retd) Md. Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury, now a Covid positive patient could not attend it. On the other hand, commissioner Mahbub Talukder, as usually held a separate briefing there. In spite of these drawbacks inside the commission and at the field level administration, the outgoing CEC is unwilling to accept his failures. Rather, he blamed the opposition parties, saying if they had taken part in the elections, then the polls would have been held in a competitive atmosphere. Competitive elections are always held in a free, fair and inclusive manner. The CEC and the four other commissioners have been in office since 15 February 2017.
Over the past five years, the outgoing EC had conducted thousands of local body polls. But with the exception of a very few, these elections were marred with violence, clashes and conflict. Then again, some of these elections were almost bereft of voters. And it is no secret that the Huda commission failed to hold free and fair elections. This time, the people will no longer tolerate any Huda type Election Commission. They want an EC that is capable of properly holding a free, fair election. If the EC is unable to do so because of non-cooperation of government officials under the sitting government because of political intervention, it should have guts to resign. The outgoing CEC too should have resigned instead betraying the people.
Then it is clear that the Election Commission is a cover-up for denying people election by the sitting government. No honest and patriot should agree to join the Election Commission when election is controlled by government officials.
