All avenues for the past three farcical elections must be closed

The commission formed to investigate irregularities in the three national elections (2014, 2018, and 2024) held during the fallen Awami League government in its report has exposed the nature of the masterminds behind those three farcical elections.

The report released on Monday clearly showed how the civil administration and law enforcement agencies, known as the backbone of the state, were used for the interests of a particular political party.

It also mentioned that the elections were organized in a well-planned manipulation, decided at the highest level of the state, to keep the fascist government in power.

The three election commissions of the time, the administration, and parts of the armed forces and intelligence agencies were involved in organizing those elections.

The electoral system was essentially handed over from the Election Commission to the administration. The administration became the main force in conducting the elections.

We believe that this process not only destroyed democracy, but also, in the long run, brought the administrative machinery face to face with the common people.

In fact, the people’s right to vote was shown the rejection by introducing the culture of ‘uncontested’ victory in 2014.

The farce of the ‘night vote’ that the world witnessed in 2018 was a well-planned manipulation with the direct cooperation of the administration.

And the drama of ‘dummy candidates’ and the competition between themselves that was staged in 2024 was essentially an attempt to make a complete mockery of the electoral system.

Those who violated the constitution and staged a farce in the name of elections must be brought to justice through proper investigation.

We need to learn from this ‘destruction’ of the administration and develop a system that where the state machinery will be accountable only to the constitution and the people, without being loyal to any particular person or party.

The main challenge now is to restore the civil administration’s professionalism in this journey of rebuilding democracy.

The commission recommended that no official from the administration cadre can be appointed as secretary or other officials of the Election Commission.

It has been said that returning and assistant returning officers will be appointed as the officials of the commission in the elections.

Apart from these recommendations, the investigation report also mentioned amendments to the appointment of election commissioners, responsibilities of election commissioners, delimitation of parliamentary constituencies, registration of political parties, monitoring, and media policies.

Taking this into account, an electoral system must be developed so that no more farcical elections can be held in the country in the future.