DHAKA, 31 July 2005 — Most of Bangladesh’s political parties, including those in power, while taking part in the three-day Election Commission (EC) dialogue favored a fresh voters’ list for the next parliamentary elections, indicating that the EC will go for a fresh list.
“We will soon take a decision whether we will prepare a fresh voters’ list, considering the majority’s demand,” Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) M.A. Aziz told reporters in Dhaka yesterday at the end of the dialogue on voters’ list.
The opposition parties, except Jatiya Party (H.M. Ershad), boycotted the dialogue that sparked severe criticism for inviting a huge number of political parties most of which exist only in name.
Only 53 political parties, out of 117 invited, joined the dialogue. Of them, 35 parties expressed their willingness for a new voters’ list while 15 suggested revision of the existing list. Three parties did not give any opinion.
Leaders of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Oikya Jote (IOJ) and Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP) who met the CEC proposed preparing a fresh voters’ list, saying that the existing list is outdated and full of errors.
“The voters’ list which was prepared six years ago has largely become out of date. We prefer a fresh list, which must be correct as far as possible,” BNP Vice-President M.K. Anwar told the CEC during the dialogue.
On the question of the huge expenditure for a fresh list, Harris Chowdhury, political secretary to the prime minister, said the EC should consider the greater interest of the nation, not the expenditure in preparing a fresh list.
“We will consider the proposal for reintroduction of two provisions empowering the Election Commission to cancel candidature and initiate contempt proceedings,” Anwar, also the agriculture minister, told the meeting, responding to the CEC.
The CEC earlier in his welcome speech said he would submit proposals to the government for reintroduction of these provisions, a separate cadre service for election officials and financial autonomy to the Election Commission.
“Reforms are needed in the electoral rules to hold free and fair elections,” Abdullah Al Noman said, echoing the CEC, but he did not elaborate.
The CEC expressed dismay at the conflict among parties as he saw as many as 12 factions of four political parties joining the dialogue. Some of them refused to sit together. Even the partners of the coalition government set an example of such discord.
The EC was compelled to arrange separate sessions for Jamaat-e- Islami, IOJ and BJP as leaders of the parties refused to sit together in a session.
Besides, a number of parties declined to sit with the smaller parties that compelled the EC to arrange a few separate sessions during the dialogue.
The CEC said it is unfortunate that there are two or three factions in each party and they do not agree to sit together.
“Trust, understanding and tolerance are the preconditions of democracy, but all these are absent here,” the CEC said.
He said the conflict among parties, mistrust and lack of tolerance are obstacles to holding a free and fair election.
In the last three days, three factions of Jatiya Party, three of IOJ, four of Muslim League and two of Nejam-e-Islam party took part in the dialogue.
