EDITORIAL COMMENT: December Elections in Bangladesh Need Participation of Both the BNP and the AL to be Credible

Politics in Bangladesh has entered a crucial phase. The election is has been scheduled to be held on 18^th December. Sadly, at this critical juncture, the BNP has raised serious objections to its participation because it feels that the EC has not made the playing field even. It has listed a 7 points demand before the EC as conditions for its participation in the elections.

The elections on 18^th are crucial to bring back the country on path to democracy. This caretaker government spent nearly 2 years to give the country a fair election. During this period, the Government of Dr. Fakhruddin, backed by the armed forces, has turned things upside down, trying to deal with corruption, reform institutions, politics and political institutions, with the objective of holding free and fair elections.

If at the end of it, a major political party feels that there is no level playing ground for its participation in the polls, then for all practical purposes, the efforts of this Government has not been successful. The people of this country felt that the BNP’s efforts to hold the January 22^nd elections in 2007 would have been meaningless without the participation of the AL. Likewise, they now feel that without the BNP in the 18^th December elections, the country cannot have credible polls.

In this case, the BNP’s decision has been based on two issues that should be given due consideration. First, the redrawing of the constituencies has affected the BNP much more adversely for them to feel that the EC has not been fair. Then the CEC’s comments on the 2001 election was one that toed the AL;s official line that the 2001 election was not fair. Thus the doubts about the EC’s fairness in the minds of the BNP are logical that cannot be wished away.

This Government should not hold elections just because it has announced the date for holding it. The date can be re-scheduled if the Government wants to hold honest and fair elections. It is time for this Government to show the public that it is an honest one.