1383 elected unopposed

Noman Mosharef :
Union Parishad (UP) polls are one of the most competitive elections organized by the Election Commission Bangladesh. Even then, about 1, 383 candidates were elected unopposed in four phases of UP polls. Of them 302 were elected chairmen, 749 elected general members and 332 elected reserved female members.
Thus at the end of 3, 040 UP polls in four phases, 1, 383 candidates won unopposed, confirmed Election Commission (EC) officials. The number will be increased, as there are two more phases to be held, said EC sources.
On the other hand, experts on local body polls have opposed the trend, as it is out and out unnatural practice running counter to the democratic system we uphold. Professor Tofail Ahmed, the foremost local government expert said local government is constitutionally democratic system in our country. Article 59 of our Constitution recommends for elected local government bodies at each administrative unit.
He said, according to our Constitution, there must be elected bodies in both rural (Zila, Upazila and Union Parishads) and urban areas (City corporations and Paurashavas) to cement the democratic system in the country. But what we see? A significant number of candidates are being elected unopposed every time recently.
The local body expert said the trend of uncontested winner might destroy local body election system. It may be the final nail in the electoral coffin.
The local body polls are being held a second time with party symbol in the country. The main opposition party outside the Parliament, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has officially boycotted the ongoing UP polls.
Over the issue, Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (SHUJAN), Citizens for Good Governance Secretary Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar said it was unthinkable that more than three thousand candidates would be
elected uncontested.
He criticized the use of party symbol in local body polls and demanded withdrawal thereof in the greater interest.
It is to be noted that this time there was no voting in 14 UPs under Raozan upazila of Chittagong district. The situation is similar to five UPs of Laksam upazila of Comilla. Even then, all the posts passed without a vote.
Experts believe that the violence in this year’s UP vote is much more shocking than other times.