Unseating a lawmaker

We congratulate the High Court division on handing down a milestone judgement. It has to be noted that an electoral petition has been creditably disposed of at a half-way point of the parliament's tenure with an efficacious relevance. The expeditious delivery of the verdict has been exemplary. The judgement is a big step forward in establishing accountability insofar as the electoral expenses go. We are heartened by the fact that electoral expenses were taken to the court and that a decisive verdict has been delivered. The initiative was good; the court pronouncement has been forward-looking; and hopefully, a vigorous accountability process has been heralded.

This should actually flag off a serious discussion and debate on transforming some outmoded election rules into a set of electoral reforms. For, palpably, there are grounds to conjure up an impression that an overwhelming number of election contestants overshot the campaign expenditure threshold of Tk five lakh by miles in the last General Election. The election theatre has become a playground for the rich, an outlet for black money and a nurturing harbour for criminal elements. So, there has to be a serious rethink on the entire gamut of election laws and rules so as to reform them to square up with the whole lot of contemporary electoral challenges and vices.

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The reform question not only cuts across party lines it also requires of the political parties to assume a role themselves. The expectations at the party level from election seekers seem to be 'fetch as much money as possible to emerge as the highest bidder' so as to be the party nominee. Selection of candidates is based more on monetary or funding considerations these days than on any intrinsic eligibility criterion. Only comprehensive electoral reform can change the situation.