A new debate has emerged in the political arena over the prospect of holding local government elections before the upcoming national parliamentary elections.
Due to the absence of elected representatives in local government institutions, ordinary people are facing difficulties in accessing services. Considering this situation, the interim government is positive about holding local elections.
However, local government adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain told Prothom Alo that a final decision on the matter would be made after discussions with stakeholders.
A recent public opinion survey by the Election Reform Commission revealed that 65 per cent of people are in favour of holding local government elections first.
The commission has also recommended organising local government elections before the national elections. However, there is disagreement in the political sphere regarding holding local elections first.
The Jamaat-e-Islami, Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, and the Jatiya Nagorik Committee support holding local elections first.
In contrast, the BNP and several other political parties prefer the national election to be held first. During a discussion with political parties on Saturday, some parties raised this issue.
After the meeting, BNP’s secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told journalists that they had clearly stated their position at the meeting, emphasizing that the national election should take place before the local government election.
The Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP) also opposes holding local elections first. After the meeting, the party’s chairman, Andalib Rahman Partha, told journalists, “We do not want local elections first. Because, if local elections are held, there is a risk of violence in over 4,500 union councils. Local elections often lead to bloodshed.”
On Monday, local government adviser Asif Mahmud spoke about local government elections at a press conference. This brought the issue back to the forefront. On Thursday, Jamaat-e-Islami held a meeting with the election commission (EC) and advised it to hold local government elections first.
In response, BNP’s secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told the press that pushing for local elections before the national election is nothing more than a political strategy to further destabilise the country.
Meanwhile, the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement has been campaigning on its official Facebook page in favour of holding local government elections before the national election.
Local government, rural development, and cooperatives adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan told Prothom Alo that the interim government is inclined to hold local government elections. However, he emphasised that the final decision would be made based on discussions with parties.
Currently, there are no elected representatives in city corporations, municipalities, district councils, upazila councils, city councilors, or municipal councilors.
As a result, public suffering has reached an extreme level. Many government officials are required to perform dual responsibilities, leading to reduced efficiency in the ministries.
Furthermore, government officials lack experience in serving as elected representatives, and they are unfamiliar with local conditions, which hampers the delivery of public services and daily responsibilities. Asif Mahmud believes that local government elections should be organized as soon as the election commission is ready.
Earlier, on 8 January, chief adviser professor Muhammad Yunus informed Vice President of the European Investment Bank (EIB) Nikola Beer that the interim government is preparing for both the national parliamentary and local government elections.
However, sources indicate that no formal process has yet been initiated regarding these elections. Typically, the election commission begins preparations for local government elections upon receiving a formal written request from the local government ministry. The commission has not received such a request yet.
The election commission is currently preparing with the goal of holding the national parliamentary election in December. However, the commission has stated that if the government wishes, it will organise local government elections before the national election.
According to past experience, the commission believes that holding elections for all local government institutions across the country in phases will take about a year.
Sources indicate that the Election Reform Commission and the Local Government Reform Commission held discussions outside Dhaka in December-January. During these discussions, the idea of holding local government elections first was raised. This issue was subsequently brought to the attention of the chief adviser.
There are two main reasons behind considering local government elections before the national elections:
First, following the uprising against the authoritarian government of Sheikh Hasina on 5 August, many local government representatives went into hiding. Eventually, most of the local government representatives were dismissed by the interim government. Now, without elected representatives in local government institutions, the general public is deprived of various services.
Secondly, if local government elections are held first, it will serve as a test and learning experience for the new election commission. The government will also gain valuable insights from this process. This will help evaluate the effectiveness of any electoral reforms that are implemented.
