Election Commission needs reconstitution

The Election Commission must be reconstituted as the incumbent has failed to prove its credibility in past several elections including those in three city corporations on April 28, Sushashoner Janney Nagorik (SHUJAN) said yesterday.

The voters hoped for fair and competitive elections in Dhaka and Chittagong cities after three months of political crisis, but they grew "very frustrated" for EC's failure to ensure free and transparent polling, it said in a written statement.  

"We think it is urgent to form a strong commission following the constitution," Badiul Alam Majumdar, secretary of the civil society organisation, told reporters at a press conference on "DNCC, DSCC and CCC elections: What types of representatives we have had" in Sagar-Runi Auditorium of Dhaka Reporters Unity.

Asked about the impact of the "controversial" elections, he said it would possibly affect the country's politics as the people wanted an end to the culture of violent politics.

"Radical groups arise in countries where democratic practices remain absent. We don't want to face such groups. So, it is essential to continue the democratic system and fair elections in the country," he observed.

Dilip Kumar Sarkar, central coordinator of SHUJAN, mentioned the reports of irregularities in the three city elections, prepared by monitoring groups like the Election Working Group, Transparency International Bangladesh, Ain o Salish Kendra, Asian Human Rights Commission, and the UN, USA and UK.

"The recently held three city corporation elections, which witnessed contradictions and irregularities, can never be acceptable. So, we must be vocal to bring huge reforms in the existing election system and Election Commission," he said in a written speech.

He made recommendations for enactment of law for formation of search committees, which will seek out honest, efficient, and intrepid persons as election commissioners, and for bringing positive changes in fixing the qualifications of candidates.

Analysing the affidavits of the newly elected city corporation representatives, he said 75 percent of them were rich and businessmen, around 42 percent had no educational certificates, one of the three mayors faced cases, 13 percent of the councillors faced cases, and 10 percent of the representatives faced bank loans.