Costly elections

While opinions may differ on the extent of the linkage the fact remains that connection between ill-gotten money and election has a profoundly deleterious impact on politics as well as on all sectors of our economy.

We reiterate our earlier calls for urgent reform in our electoral laws in a manner that would end the power of money as the only factor that can get people elected as member of parliament. There has unfortunately been a harmful nexus in our country between money and elections, where, in most cases, ill-gotten money is utilised to seek the highest elected office, only to accumulate more of the same.

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The fact has also been recognised by the judiciary, which has directed the EC to elicit information regarding the candidates' income, assets and liabilities. This is where we feel the EC can play a very crucial and significant role in decoupling money and politics. Although the High Court directive provides enough clout to the EC to gather information, it must do more than this, in that the EC must also ascertain the veracity of the given statements of the candidates. The candidate, as also the party, must be made to go through a straining process before he or she can qualify as one. All relevant information on the candidate must also be made public for the benefit of the voters.

We feel that the matter of party registration and funding as well as election expenditure must also be brought under the purview of the EC. This necessitates new and appropriate legislation as a part of electoral reform in Bangladesh that must be put in place immediately.

For all too long money has dominated politics in Bangladesh, and the electorate have been given a raw deal. This must be ended through necessary reform in our electoral process, sooner rather than later.