Admin should not be cause of concern in the polls

In any democracy, all relevant provisions of the constitution are expected to be used to ensure a free, fair and credible election. During dialogue with the election commission, various political parties demanded that the police and the administration be placed under the commission’s control during the polls. The commission ought to have given the matter serious consideration from beforehand, but there is still time for them to do so.

Controversy arose over election commissioner Mahbub Talukdar’s proposal in this regard, but that does not mean the matter should end there. The chief election commissioner’s assent to include this issue on the commission’s meeting agenda is a positive step ahead. Just because there are differences of opinion on the matter, that does not mean it should be evaded. Importantly, alongside the major opposition political parties, allies of the ruling alliance are also in favour of this proposal. A political decision from the head of government is vital to implement this.

It is also positive that at the press briefing held upon the prime minister’s return from Saudi Arabia, the launching of Dr Kamal Hossain’s Oikya Front was welcomed. Parties of the Oikya Front have demanded elections under a neutral government, but the ruling party rejects this as it is not within the constitution. It is appears to be constitutionally acceptable to place the home ministry and the public administration under the election commission during the election period. There is room to forge an understanding with the major opposition, BNP. While BNP has not relinquished its demand for a neutral government, it has presented the election commission with a proposal for placing 11 ministries under the commission 90 days before the election. Jatiya Party has said if necessary, the constitution should be amended in this regard.

It is not as if this concept only cropped up last year. It is quite an old concept. The election commission under chief election commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda, which conducted the 2008 election successfully, had proposed to place 6 ministries under the commission. So there is no scope for the commission to term this as a ‘difference of opinion’.

The administration has been increasingly politicised over the past few years, for which the US-based National Democratic Institute recommended that election officers be appointed from the private sector. During dialogue with the election commission last year, 12 of 39 political parties expressed their views in favour of placing the public administration under the election commission during the polls. But the election commission did not deem it fit to pass this on to the government.

It is unfortunate that this election commission is failing to put up an effective performance. They have hardly won any credibility at all among all concerned quarters.