Elections: Why and why not
Election fever, if I am allowed to say so, is gradually gaining momentum. Quite contrary to the usual practice the process of the general election follows the one for the local government elections across the country. At the first instance, we have by now election schedule declared for a number of municipal and city corporations. Submission of nomination papers, their scrutiny, acceptance and rejection have already been completed. Though yet to take off formally and on a mass scale individual aspirants and their supporters are about to mobilize their respective numerical strength to fall back upon. All their enthusiasm would obviously depend much on their respective party support.
When we talk about support of the party (even though direct involvement of the political parties is forbidden in local government elections) we have to take into cognizance the actual situation in respect of some of the major political parties. For instance, BNP presently led by Khandker Delwar Hossain has already rejected the proposition of local government election before national election tentatively scheduled for third week of December this year. He has even challenged the legal validity of any L.G. election under the present caretaker government. Besides, he has categorically warned all his party men to boycott such election and cautioned the violators about possible disciplinary action.
Concurrently, the recent announcement of the election commission to hold upazila election as well before the national election in December has also aggrieved the BNP leadership. Palpably at their instance some legal practitioners had filed writ petitions in the High Court to get the Election Commission venture quashed. On July 10, 2008, they have had a big disappointment instead -- their prayer being straightway vacated by the Hon'ble High Court.
Awami League and its 14-party alliance have already formally announced their indirect and yet most potent involvement in the city and municipal corporation elections. They have made their selection of four mayoral candidates for city corporation election. And apparently paradoxical, Awami League (seemingly others in the 14-party alliance) has expressed its unwillingness to participate in the upazila election if it precedes the national election. In this case, BNP and Awami League have identical strategy, it seems. Ershad's Jatiya Party and a few other like-minded smaller parties do not have any objection to holding upazila election before general election in December. Ershad was seen unusually critical about those who contest CEC's announcement. He thought that linking the demand for immediate release of the top leaders of the two big parties as precondition to participating in the elections is vicariously mischievous on the part of those who make such demands.
Even the Chief Election Commissioner was seen wondering about the earthly reasons for objecting UZ election before the general election. He invited the contenders to tell him the 'Why' of it. The antagonists are instead creating confusion among their respective followers in the party. BNP leadership as of now are insisting upon immediate release of chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and all other party leaders who are behind bars on charges of corruption. They threat that there will be no election without Begum Zia. The statements of some central leaders of Awami League echo the self same and most unacceptable sentiment at the cost of the people at large. It cannot, by any means be a precondition since none on earth is indispensable. Moreover, such strategy, if adhered to may take the nation to the days -- before one-eleven.
The promoters of such ideas are unknowingly exposing to the people the otherwise pitiable condition of their own party, the big vacuum in its leadership the tremendous dirth of faculties to lead, incapacity at forging unity of thinking. Besides, rising to the highest echelon of party leadership by a fluke chance has apparently sent some lesser ones off their heads and even forgetful of those few who used to enjoy a better status than now when the party chief was in place. Consequently, many of them are now literal aliens and silent spectators.
Between the two major political parties, that is, Awami League and BNP, the house of the latter is by far the most affected from organizational point of view. The none-too-palatable rift between the 'reformists' and the 'Khaleda followers' and at the latest, the 'cold war' between the most vocal member of the second group Brigadier (retd) ASM Hannan Shah and Begum Zia's nominated Secretary General of the party Khondker Delwar Hossain aggravated the situation. The unity of the workers and local leaders that provided the basic strength to the party has been practically asunder. The impact of the present division is very much palpable in the race for city and municipal corporation elections now in the offing.
Evidently its performance in the general election is obviously anticipated to be terrible. So, biding time on some pretext or the other appears to be the only option left for the party. Since the factor of time is already a settled issue they are perhaps digging up umpteen pretexts (Khaleda Zia's and others' unconditional release, objection to holding UZ election before general election etc) to foil the whole process of elections.
To sum up, the statement above answers the 'why' part. BNP's attitude towards the proposed dialogue with the government can also be treated as an invariable adjunct to the central theme of their current stance. It will be considered to be the height of arrogance on their part if they do not bow down eventually to the wishes of the people, nay, the majority of the people of the country who are awaiting anxiously a free and fair election. They may not tolerate any departure from the set goal. 'Why not' is indeed a very firm question they ask and await for a rational replay.
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