Terming the 12th national election one-sided, uncompetitive and questionable, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has said it was held as a ploy to stay in power.
The anti-graft watchdog in its report titled ‘12th National Parliament Election Process Tracking’ also said that 100 per cent of Awami League (AL) nominees violated the code of conduct in the general election held on January 7.
TIB executive director Dr Iftekharuzzaman came up with the observations at a press conference held at its Dhanmondi office in the capital on Wednesday.
According to TIB, the research data was collected on 149 candidates by random sampling from 50 constituencies---three candidates from each constituency. Of them, 44 were AL candidates, 37 independent AL, eight independent, 33 Jatiya Party, 12 Trinomool BNP, and 15 others.
Among them, 100 per cent of AL, 97.3 per cent independent AL, 87.5 per cent independent, 84.9 per cent Jatiya Party, 75 per cent Trinomool BNP and 80 per cent others violated the election code of conduct.
The violations of the code of conduct included plastering posters on walls, poles, vehicles, processions including vehicles, torchlight processions, public gatherings, and showdowns, submission of nomination papers with more than five supporters, starting the campaign before the scheduled time etc.
According to the information given by the candidates in the affidavit in the 12th national election, about 27 per cent of the candidates have debts or liabilities and currently there are cases against 170 candidates.
A total of 149 candidates spent, on average, Tk 1,02,77,265 (maximum Tk 18,15,50,800 and minimum Tk 44,800) in the surveyed constituencies since the time the nominations were finalised for the election.
Though the election expenditure limit was Tk 25 lakh, average candidates’ expenditure was Tk 1,56,83,777, which was six times higher than the previous 11th JS polls.
TIB has claimed direct participation of government officials and employees in the campaign on behalf of former bureaucrats and officials, including ministers and MPs, who participated in the national election.
Returning officers, polling officers, and officers from law enforcement agencies and administration were participating in electoral activities in support of the ruling party candidates and sought vote for them.
Dr Iftekharuzzaman said, “In the January 7 election, the overall experience, including success and failure, is an ominous sign for the future of democracy and democratic elections in Bangladesh.”
"A one-sided election to implement a strategy for staying in power was successfully conducted on January 7. It conflicts with the spirit and dream of the liberation war and independence of the country.”
He said, “The election has institutionalised the absolute control of the ruling party over the political arena and the governance system and further expanded the way for the indiscriminate application of power without accountability.”
TIB also observed that the Election Commission had acted as one of the catalysts for the implementation of unilateral electoral agendas, sometimes intransigently, sometimes subtly, in the name of constitutional obligations and legal bindings.
The other state institutions, particularly the law enforcement agencies and the administration, have similarly been used or indulged in supporting the same agenda, it said, adding that the dominance of businesspeople in Parliament has also increased to monopoly levels, increasing the risk of wider conflicts of interest and policy interference in state affairs.
The report also said that participatory and free election was not held due to contradictory and intransigent positions of the two major parties on the issue of polls-time government.
The staged game (election) was held among the ruling party and its independent candidates, and the party-supported other party candidates without meaningful political opposition in the polls, it added.
The staged polls organised by the party’s government-backed candidates have also resulted in sick and violent contests with widespread violations of the code of conduct.
Election promises to establish good governance and curb corruption have become more and more unreal and paper documents, the report said.
