Spotting 14 challenges, EC rolls out roadmap for next JS polls

The Election Commission (EC) unveiled a roadmap on Wednesday, pointing out 14 challenges and officially chalking out its plan ahead of the next parliamentary election.

The challenges include building trust, ensuring neutrality of the local administration, gaining confidence for electronic voting machines, checking the use of black money and muscle in polls and maintaining law and order during the election.

The roadmap, announced one and a half years before the next Jatiya Sangsad election to be held late-2023 or early-2024, illustrates a 19-point action plan on how the Kazi Habibul Awal-led commission will face the challenges.

Four election commissioners unveiled the roadmap at a programme at the Election Commission Building in Dhaka, as Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal was absent citing illness.

Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) Md Ahsan Habib Khan said this action plan has been formulated for a "free, fair, neutral, acceptable and participatory" election.

In separate reactions, key opposition BNP said it does not bother about the poll plan, while Jatiya Party termed it a blueprint for "another staged election". However, the ruling Awami League appreciated it.

Infograph: TBS

One and a half years before the 2008 parliamentary polls, the then Election Commission led by Chief Election Commissioner Shamsul Huda uuveilled an electoral roadmap, first time in Bangladesh election history, clearing uncertainty over the national election during the then emergency regime.

His successors Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmed and KM Nurul Huda also unveiled electoral roadmaps more than one year before the elections in 2014 and 2018 respectively promising free and fair polls.

Successful implementation of the roadmap by the Shamsul Huda led EC paved the way for a participatory election largely free and fair. But his successors Rakibuddin and Nurul Huda led ECs could not do so.

Referring to that gap and fragile voter confidence, Brig Gen (Retd) Md Ahsan Habib Khan said, "We are facing a lot of questions. We are also facing a confidence gap. But with our activities, we have proven that we have made progress in gaining trust to some extent."

Election Commissioner Md Alamgir said they tried to accommodate the recommendations in line with the Constitution by the stakeholders in the roadmap.

Election Commissioner Rashida Sultana said the incumbent commission will proceed according to the plan. She said they will be able to present a participatory and fair national election if everyone cooperates.

Election Commissioner Md Anisur Rahman too stressed on cooperation by the stakeholders. "If this roadmap is implemented realistically and time-wise, the desired goal can be reached," he said.

At the programme, the commission said it will use electronic voting machines in the 12th national election (EVMs) in 150 seats max.

19 measures to deal with the challenges

Other challenges noted in the roadmap include ensuring all political parties follow the electoral code of conduct and they do not face any obstacle from their rivals, local administration or police during electioneering.

The roadmap also talks about checking vote fraud, ensuring a smooth and free ballot casting, training of poll related staff and officials, deploying adequate law enforcers and magistrates, and allowing enough local and foreign poll observers.

To deal with the challenges, the EC listed 19 measures such as implementing recommendations put forward by stakeholders, proposing the government for ensuring a smooth electioneering for all, stop filing cases meant for harassment by government agencies and protecting candidates and their property from rival attacks.

The EC's to-do list also talks about seizing illegal arms, instructing local administration and law enforcers to maintain neutrality, installing closed circuit cameras at all voting centres, limiting EVMs use only in metropolitan and district level centres and legal action against poll staff in case of partiality.

AL appreciates, others criticise

Jatiya Party Chairman and Deputy Leader of Opposition in Parliament Ghulam Muhammed Quader, widely known as GM Quader, termed the roadmap as a blueprint for "another rigged election".

"The commission should try to gain the trust first," GM Quader told The Business Standard.

"Except for Awami League and some of its allies, no one wanted EVMs in the election. But the EC suddenly announced that the election would be held by EVMs," he said.

"This roadmap is a plan apparently drafted by the Awami League, which has nothing about ensuring participation of all parties in the next election," he pointed out.

Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahabubul Alam Hanif told TBS that those who do not want a democratic atmosphere in the country are criticising the roadmap.

He said, "If anyone wants to criticise this roadmap as being contrived, then they actually want to undermine the Constitution of the country. They want to come to power in a different way. Therefore, they have continued to try to make the Election Commission controversial."

BNP Standing Committee Member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said they do not care about it.

"The EC's words or the roadmap are worthless to us. Therefore, we do not want to hear or know anything from the commission," he told TBS.

Another BNP Standing Committee Member Mirza Abbas questioned the legitimacy of the commission.