Meeting with DCs, SPs and other issues

Dr. Syed Nesar Ahmad Rumy:
Recently a meeting held in Election Commission with DCs and SPs was very important as it might be the signal of behavioral pattern of field administration in the forthcoming general election. Conscious people have been very much curious about the incident happened in that meeting of the Election Commission. National dailies, electronic media and social media are now busy to make analysis the happenings in the meeting. So far, till now Election Commission did not clarify the incident as a body. But we got some comments of this incident from the two Election Commissioners. These comments express the weakness and some sort of compromising attitude of Election Commission. Since the constitution of this commission another incident happened during Cumilla City Corporation election some months back. That time commission directed the local MP to leave the Cumilla City Corporation area during campaigning of the city polls. But the MP did not obey the directives of the Election Commission and moreover he explained that Election Commission did not have such authority to direct him leaving his (Cumilla City Corporation) area. After that Election Commission detracted from their original stand and told the media that it was only the request to the concerned MP for the sake of fair election. In this context any sensible person could understand the real weakness of election commission. And anybody could understand this situation.
What happened in the meeting during the speech of one of the commissioners in the presence of Deputy Commissioners and Police Supers? The media says Election Commissioner saidand asked the DCs and SPs present in the meeting not to act or behave like party activists during election time and the fund given to them for conducting election was not properly spent. He also opined that he had some evidences of such activities. He did not wish to disclose the names of the persons. This made irked the audience (DCs and SPs). Then the commissioner asked them whether he would continue the speech. The answer of the audience was ‘NO’. This incident was unprecedented in bureaucratic history in Bangladesh. In that consequence the said commissioner could not continue his speech and went back to his seat.
If we analyze the situation happened there we see that the behavioral pattern of DCs and SPs present were unlike civil servants. They should know Election Commission is a highly respected and important constitutional body of the state. Showing such attitude in front of the respected Chief Election Commissioner along with his full team is clearly violation of government servant conduct rule. And for that they should be answerable to the appropriate authority for doing such unacceptable behavior. If they have any grievances they should uphold their dissatisfactions in their speeches. Bureaucracy is not a trade union. Showing respect to higher authority is the norm of bureaucracy. On the other hand concerned commissioner could make his speech using appropriate and decent words. He could have been more conscious during his speech in such an important meeting. We all know self-respect is the universal right to all. Humiliating anybody is not a credit. Whatever was the incident, the meeting ended in due course and the consequences of that meeting are being discussed in social media, TV talk-show, social media, print and electronic media.
Still now we did not get any official version of comment of Election Commission of that incident but we got some comments from two Commissioners. One of the commissioners said that they were embarrassed but not perturbed. Another one made comment that they would enquire about the personal traits of the proposed returning officers before the forthcoming general election and if they would get any complain they would debar those officers from the electoral process. All these comments might not be integrated and thoughtful. Maybe these are the extempore comments not vetted by the Commission. All these events exposed the weakness of the election commission.
Meanwhile, another unprecedented incident happened in a by-election of a vacant parliamentary seat in the district of Gaibandha. It is such an event that never happened in the electoral history of the country. Getting information and watching through the CC Camera Election Commission suspended the election in the mid-day of the Election Day. During election time all four contestants except ruling party contestant stopped contesting the poll accusing the environment not congenial to free and fair election. But as reported in the media, local administration and law enforcers did not agree with the EC’s stand of suspending the voting process. They say they did not see or observe any untoward environment which was ultimate cause of suspending the vote process. Even a minister of the government talked to the media showing the copies of the signed papers of presiding officers’ certificates of fair election of that day.
After that day CEC and his team made a statement in a press-meet that their decision was not illogical rather they took the decision consciously of suspending the election. It seems the high-ups of the government did not like the decision of the election commission. And it is exposed by the statements of the top leaders of the ruling party. But a former Election Commissioner welcomed the decision of the EC.
From the very beginning the main opposition on the street did not join the dialogue organized by the Commission as they declared they would not participate in any election under this partisan government. Their main priority is to hold a general election under a non- party government. So the activity of EC is not in their consideration. Holding big public meetings recently they also show their considerable strength of public opinion.
Meeting held in Election Commission with DCs and SPs, telephonic talks between Commission and Gaibandha District Administration and Law enforcers and postponement of by-election could not show any positive sign of holding free and fair election in future. And a clear gap has already been created between Election Commission and the local authority of the Gaibandha district. This might have some negative impact on electoral process in the days to come. So in this circumstance it is very much unclear what is waiting for us regarding our electoral process in the forthcoming days.

(The writer is a former Civil Servant and freelancer).