One-sided poll dents democracy
Staff Reporter :
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has asserted that the 12th parliamentary election was not conducted in a free and inclusive manner rather it was a one-sided and made-up competitive election, signaling an ominous sign for future democracy and democratic election in the country.
This election has institutionalised the ruling party’s absolute dominance over the political landscape and governance system, further paving the way for unchecked authority, it further said.
In addition, the election was not competitive and participatory as the major political parties did not vie for the poll while it was marred by irregularities, violence, vote rigging and intimidation, it said.
On the other hand, the ruling party has used state machinery and even state-owned media was used as a tool for election campaign by spending huge amount of money from the exchequer.
TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman came up with the observation at his office in the capital on Wednesday while unveiling its preliminary report on “Twelfth National Parliament Election Process Tracking.”
“The 12th parliamentary election was not conducted in a free and inclusive manner. It was one-sided and made-up competition.
It is an ominous sign for our democracy and conflicting with the glorious liberation war and the spirit of independence,” he said.
The concept of democratic elections and the essential elements of national and international best practices, including unbiased information, inclusive participation, impartiality, and overall fair competition, were not fully reflected in the elections, TIB said.
The Election Commission, constrained by constitutional limitations and legal boundaries, sometimes acted independently, while at other times, it played a supportive role in realising the agenda of one-sided elections, it said.
Similar agendas were adopted or influenced by other national institutions, especially law enforcement agencies and the administration, in alignment with the same political agenda, the body said.
“In the context of the twelfth national parliamentary elections, power dynamics and the final establishment of unilateral control by the ruling party have been achieved,” Iftekharuzzaman said.
“The election has led to an intensified concentration of power, even at the grassroots level, raising concerns about the risk of authoritarian dominance and policy intrusion in national affairs,” he further said.
He further said that the success or failure of the government in the fourth term will be more relevant to public confidence and acceptability in relation to political integrity and ethical standards than the mere success of the election.
“There will be a deeper concern about the democratic and electoral future of the country. Bangladesh will be critically examined as an international test case in the ongoing global struggle for democracy,” he said.
About the voter turn-out, TIB said that figure 41.8 percent announced by the Election Commission would remain controversial.
Concerning the electoral competition, it was stated, “In 241 seats, the election lacked competitiveness.
To introduce a sense of competition, independent candidates affiliated with the ruling party contested.
In most of the instances, polling agents were absent for candidates other than those from the Awami League and Independent contenders.”
Based on field information gathered from 50 constituencies, TIB discovered that in 75.5 percent of the seats among the 50, polling agents were obstructed from entering the polling centers.
Concerning election expenditures, it was noted that the spending exceeded the Election Commission’s prescribed guidelines from the announcement of the election schedule.
On average, winning candidates spent Tk 3.09 crore, with the highest expenditure being Tk 38.77 crore and the lowest at Tk 16.45 lakh.
TIB emphasised that a prerequisite for good governance and democracy is a free, fair, and participatory election.
However, the conducted election fell short of reflecting the aspirations of the people.
