Electoral system doesn’t work as per whim: Quader

Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader yesterday said the constitution and electoral system don't function as per whim of individuals as the electoral system has been set up following the practices of different democratic countries.

Quader said this in a statement protesting BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir's "misleading and politically motivated remarks".

He said autocrats Ziaur Rahman and HM Ershad amended the constitution to give constitutional legitimacy to the power seized by them for personal interests. Those amendments to the constitution were declared illegal by the country's highest court, now there is no scope to go back to that.

"Now those who are giving anti-constitutional statements want to see an undemocratic and unelected government system," Quader added.

Criticising BNP leaders for their attempts to mislead people, Quader said BNP leaders are making such unconstitutional, undemocratic and false remarks because they want to see unelected and undemocratic government in power.

He said Awami League led by Bangabandhu's daughter and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is always in favour of an inclusive election and it expects a competitive electoral system.

BNP does not participate in elections sensing its defeat and if is joins polls, it does so to make the election questionable, he said. "If BNP secretary general's mentality is like that then the democracy would never be sustainable," he added.