A majority of the respondents of a survey are of the opinion that the new government, formed through the 10th general election, is not credible and there should be re-elections in less than five years from now.
Of the 1,500 adult Bangladeshi respondents interviewed by Nielsen on behalf of Democracy International Inc. for the survey, 59% think that there should be another election before five years. 41% of the respondents believe that the current will be in power for less than a year. About 38% believe that the government will be able to carry on for 4-5 years.
From the areas where voting was held in the January 5 election, 49% of the respondents said the election was credible. 38% of the respondents from the areas where candidates were elected uncontested said the election was not credible.
While nearly all BNP supporters, who responded to the survey questionnaire, said there should be a re-election, 27% of the interviewed Awami League supporters also felt the same need.
According to the survey report, 55% of the respondents think that the January 5 election was a “farce,” while 41% say the election was “necessary/credible” because it was conducted in line with the country’s constitution.
Of the one and a half thousand respondents, who were interviewed face-to-face from January 11-15, 44% believe that the 153 uncontested parliamentary seats was a proof that the election was “farcical.” 36% of the interviewees said there was no competition in those seats because the then opposition voluntarily pulled out of it.
The survey report also stated that according to 48% of the people interviewed, the current situation was different from 1996 when the Awami League boycotted the national election held unilaterally by the BNP government.
Source: Dhaka Tribune
