Editorial
Election Commission after the stay order
A dent in credibility that must be mended
The Election Commission has called off its scheduled November 22 meeting with the Saifur Rahman-led faction of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. It really did not have a choice, seeing that the High Court has served a stay order on the EC's earlier action of inviting the faction despite the brewing conflict between the reformists and pro-Khaleda Zia groups in the party. We recall that we had made it clear in an editorial that the EC appeared to take sides by their move and suggested it should have sought legal advice before issuing a letter to any of the BNP factions. We did so because we could clearly see the potential for controversy about its neutrality that underlay the EC's action.
The result is that now, with the High Court stay order before it, it has landed itself in a controversy that ought not to have been there. Indeed, the widely held public feeling is that the EC only invited trouble for itself through acting hastily in sending out the letter of invitation to Hafizuddin Ahmed, secretary general of the Saifur Rahman-led BNP faction. The irony of the situation is that where so long the actions of the EC have been regarded with understanding and appreciation, its sudden decision to lean toward one of the BNP groups without giving serious thought to the implications has now created a chink in public confidence about its working. It is the neutrality of the EC that has come into question. Because of its failure to weigh the consequences of its decision before making it, the Election Commission has only embarrassed itself.
It should now be the job of the EC to reclaim the moral ground it has lost through its recent move. That fundamentally calls for new, all-out efforts to be made toward reasserting its neutrality as an organisation. We still believe that the body can retrieve the space it has lost through making sure that all its moves from hereon will be based on an objective, long-term view of political conditions in the country. So far, EC's work was not only impressive and credible but also heartening. Now it must convince the country it can have its credibility restored, by demonstrating its ability not only to be judicious in its acts but also independent in its approach.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments