Impact of national polls on OCD elections!
Dr. Forqan Uddin Ahmed :
Election of the Officers’ Club Dhaka (OCD) was supposed to be held in the month of January at the end of its tenure. But it could not be held at the specified time due to the national elections. It was held one month later on 23rd February. We know that election is a democratic process through which the institutions are managed in a systematic way.
Electoral system is essential for institutional dynamism, efficiency, transparency, accountability and creation of new leadership. Absence of elections is meant for authoritarianism, factionalism and interest of vested group.
This hinders the development culture. Therefore, it is not desirable for anyone to show any narrow-mindedness hurting and harassing as to trivialize and question the elections.
How was the recently concluded Officers’ Club election?Experts have made their observations and analyses on the occasion of the election. Many have said that the Officers’ Club election was nothing but duplication and carbon copies of the national elections. It appeared to be competitive and turned to be a character like all election modes in the country.
In all cases, the election campaigning was completed through social media. In addition to poster leaflets, messages have been sent from the club’s website from time to time. Contesting candidates and their supporters created their own groups and sent group voice messages to voters.
These messages were offensive to many voters. And in many cases has lost the interest of respectable voters. More candidates approached voters personally with food and drink packets at various points – which were not at all desirable before polling.
It should be noted that the work area of the members made disgusting and annoying by the movement of candidates to Tennis ground, Swimming pool, Card center etc.
In addition, the club’s cafeteria and various other points were highly rushed and gathered for election campaign by external supporters of the candidates – which were not desired to esteemed members.
Many respected old members of the Club tried to influence the election by acting as election lobbyists. It is learnt that various gifts, soft water and sweets were sent to the houses of many of the election lobbyists. This culture of club election is not desirable under any circumstances.
It is pertinent to mention that the Election Commission of the Officers’ Club has created a controversial environment providing biased nominations.
It is to be noted here that the nomination paper of a vice chairman candidate has been cancelled without any specific objections or written protests from any corner. Rather election commission invited or looked for objectionable points or issues.
One vice chairman candidate filed a writ in the High Court against the cancellation of his candidature. Here too, the writ was dismissed for administrative interference without due hearing.
However, in the same election, a candidate for the post of General Secretary has performed the duties of General Secretary for two consecutive times, but by showing special reasons, his nomination paper for the post of General Secretary for the third time was declared valid, which was contrary to the constitution. The commission has been questioned.
This type of activity is harmful to the unity, brotherhood and mutual respect among the members in the future.
What signifies the OCD club executive committee election? In this election, 60 candidates took part for the post of 22 in different names, excepting club chairman, the ex- officio post. The election was disgusting or annoying. OCD executive committee election was completed amidst of mixed reaction.
In this election, it was found that many of the candidates had launched their election campaign with posters, leaflet, and request letters and above all by giving post messages frequently.
However, the voice messages were very much annoying and disturbing which one voter explained in the last AGM. The election was controversial as election Commission could not maintain their neutrality in the verification of candidacy as written in club constitution.
We have dreams and aspirations. So we don’t want to be content with reminiscing about the past. The club’s main objective will be to encourage member participation by smoothing and expanding future operations.
The club should be transformed into a pleasant, peaceful and smart club by invigorating with the spirit of the liberation war in order to speed up the activities in the club. An initiative should be taken to form a smart club in all fields of entertainment, education, sports, social and cultural activities.
Information flow, new memberships and payment of membership fees should be taken to digitize and update all matters to maintain constant communication with respected members. The constitution of the club should be revised and revisited.
The number of executive committee should be increased from the current 22 to a minimum of 31. The posts that will be included in the expanded sectors may be Social Welfare Secretary, Information Technology Secretary, Law Secretary, Publicity Secretary, Research Secretary, Cultural Secretary etc. Besides, there should be provision of a specific journal and periodical for the club. Efforts should be taken to modernize e-books, and e-libraries etc. to make journals and other publications readily available.
The retired and the in service officers belong to the club. They represent the government directly and indirectly. However, election is finished. But any act of an authoritarian mentality may lead to club to the goal of discrimination. The club authorities must be committed to overcome this state of congenial affairs through elections and rise above parochialism. Otherwise, our successors will give us curse, we will be humiliated. We will be identified as the wrong doers or bad social organisers. We will be always blamed.
(The writer is former Deputy Director General, Bangladesh Ansar and VDP).
