EC must take action against code of conduct breaches

EDITORIAL

THE violation of the directives that the Election Commission usually enforces on political parties during the election time comes to be worrying. The commission which has not lifted a finger, but for sounding indirect warnings, to attend to such violations, so far committed by the ruling alliance, appears not to be in a position to ensure a level playing field. Electoral violence has already started stalking the next parliamentary elections, so far scheduled for December 23, as two young people, claimed to be Awami League supporters, died on Saturday as a pick-up truck hit them during an infighting of the incumbent political party in Dhaka. The clash ensued between two Awami League leaders seeking nomination for the Dhaka 13 constituency. The motorcade of a leader of the party’s north city unit, on the way to collect the nomination form from the party president’s office at Dhanmondi, came to be attacked by the people of the party’s joint general secretary. While the home minister seeks to say that it was the Election Commission, which is now in control of the law enforcement agencies, that would look into the issue and the commission pleads ignorance of the incident, the prime minister is reported by the party’s general secretary to have asked the home minister to take action against the perpetrators.

The Election Commission, furthermore, asked the law enforcement agencies not to allow any political parties and alliances to hold rallies before the general elections. But Awami League leaders and their streaming pick-up trucks and supporters walking down the roads, especially towards the party president’s office at Dhanmondi, have gone unchecked. A situation like this has brought life there to a standstill and caused severe traffic congestion in surrounding areas for the past three days. Yet the Election Commission sees such processions and marches as something adding to the election-time festivity. It is time the Election Commission defined electoral marches and festive marches in its mental map in its preparation for action to stop the violation of electoral code. The commission has also asked individuals and political parties to remove campaign materials that they have put in public display such as posters, banners and pull down gates erected on roads in seven days. The commission has asked city and municipal mayors and representatives of other local government agencies to remove campaign materials as their display before December 1 would constitute the violation of the code of conduct. Roadside walls in Dhaka and elsewhere have already been covered with posters seeking votes for Awami League aspirants. Reports coming from outlying areas say that Awami League leaders aspiring to nomination, and in some cases representatives of local government agencies, have already begun electoral campaign. Yet no initiative has got off the ground for the commission to take action and for the authorities concerned to remove the materials.

All this suggests that the Election Commission has so far failed to take any action against violations of the electoral code of conduct by Awami League leaders and their people and even the law enforcers and elected local government representatives. Neither of the law enforcement agencies, nor local government representatives care to act, keeping to what the Election Commission asks them to, that could displease the leaders of the incumbent political party and their people. The Election Commission must rise up to the occasion.

• Courtesy: New Age Nov/ 12, 2018