Somersaults at the EC

The chief executive of the election commission is reported to be scoring high points in the games and getting most coverage in both print and electronic media. He has become a national hero, an icon, a symbol of tight-lipped obstinacy and tenacity, and the people have not seen anything like this in decades. He stands firm on his ground, refusing to be unnerved by the court rulings, one after another, and the propositions for resignation.

As a result, the administration is likely to give due recognition to such a national hero. It is also being said by the critics that his biography and deeds will possibly go down in the school textbooks so that the next generation civil servants can learn a few tips as to how to become an adamant government official, if not an efficient one.

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We are told that the EC officials are most adept in the game of somersault, which in Bengali they say digbaji. This is said when someone continuously keeps going back and forth on one's own decisions on a matter of national importance. This is what they are doing now. But, let us look at what happened before that.

In the first phase of the game, the EC officials played with the preparation of the voter list following their own rules of the game despite a commotion created by the civil society, various bodies of lawyers, the media, and finally the High Court. All the while, the officials kept their ears plugged so that no noise could destroy the concentration in their game. After months of playing, something of a voter list was prepared, which was rejected immediately by the people in general. The people refused to play along with the EC and take part in the forthcoming elections on the basis of that list. The EC refused to listen to the people and stuck to their chairs. This is a game that they proved to be good at. Sticking to chairs.

Then began the games of high jump and low jump, to avoid the press. These two games were very entertaining, as reported by the media. After a while they got tired of jumping. They started the game of hide and seek with great skill and in the process earned many points. They thought they almost got away by producing the voter list, which was termed "flawed" by those who were not good in playing games. But suddenly, like a bolt from the blue, came an order from the Supreme Court. The SC upheld the ruling of the High Court, which was on the question of going door to door and strictly observing other formalities while preparing the voter list. With the World Cup football around, we may say, the High Court ruling was the yellow card, while the Supreme Court order was the red card shown to the EC.

At this point the highly hilarious game of somersault began. Every second day the EC officials issued a statement but changed it on the fourth day, with a digbaji. One day they said the SC order did not specify that one has to go door to door to register voters. So they would not go door to door. Then they said they would modify the voter list prepared by them and they would do it sitting in their office.

Meanwhile, they introduced some more regulations, such as one has to produce certificates to prove one's age or house rent etc., to qualify as a voter. They instructed the people to queue up in front of the various centers, produce those certificates and register themselves as voters. The people refused to do that. They made it very clear that in this country certificates were available on the black-market.

They did not have any time to go there. They were simply not interested. The EC gave a somersault. Next day they changed their own directive -- no need for certificates. Then the people refused to go to the registration centres. So, next day, the EC gave another somersault -- no need to go the centres, we shall go door to door!

At last! The EC has steered itself to square one, but only after immensely entertaining the citizens of the country with a display of Olympic-level tricks. Now, all eyes are on the EC once again. People, we are told, are still not sure whether the games are over yet. Is there more coming from that office? This is the question clouding the minds of the people now.

And, through all the explosions, volleys of field-guns, hails of bullets, spraying of splinters and showering of arrows, the one person who remained cool as a cucumber, as tight-lipped as on day one, and came out unscathed, is the chief executive of the election commission. No wonder he has become a national hero, and icon. But, what he is the secret? How could he remain so unruffled through all the turmoil? There is a widespread feeling that he is saving all his emotions and energy for the day when he would laugh the last laugh.

Well, good luck, chief.

Shahnoor Wahid is a Senior Assistant Editor of The Daily Star.