AL, allies fire UP poll violence salvo at EC

The alliance partners of the ruling Awami League (AL) have blamed the Election Commission (EC) for massive irregularities and violence in the first and second phases of the union parishad (UP) elections. The polls are being held in six phases. Talking to this correspondent, the top leadership of the AL-led 14-Party Alliance evaluated the ongoing local body polls as “Opposition-free elections” as there was no strong Opposition in the country right now. Alliance leaders also said they were fed up with such one-sided elections, adding that it was an ominous sign for the local government administration. They also expressed apprehension of a rerun of violence in the upcoming phases of the UP polls if the EC does not play its due role on the day of voting and if the government does not assist the EC in holding the local body elections peacefully. Over 30 people, including students of a school and of Dhaka University, were killed and hundreds, including three election officials, were injured in sporadic violence in the first and second phases of the UP polls held on March 22 and 31.
Rashed Khan Menon, president of the Workers’ Party of Bangladesh, told The Independent yesterday that whatever irregularities that occurred in the recently concluded UP polls were very unfortunate and held the EC responsible for that. “Definitely, ruling party leaders and workers cannot escape blame,” he said.
Sharif Nurul Ambia, leader of a faction of the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD), said the irregularities and violence in the two phases of UP polls were totally unexpected and the ruling party had used muscle power that day.
“The elections were totally one-sided and the EC failed to play its due role on voting day,” he said, adding that the trend would continue in the remaining phases of the UP polls.
Jatiya Party (JP-Ershad) co-chairman GM Quader also said the local polls were not held in a free, fair and credible manner, as AL leaders and workers flexed their muscles. “This trend of interference by the ruling party should be stopped for the sake of democracy. Actually, the EC also failed in its duty. The poll monitor, on its part, said the government did not help it properly,” he added.
According to media reports, chief election commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad said the government did not extend the necessary and proper support to the EC for holding free and fair polls.
On its part, the ruling party blamed the EC for failing to curb the violence.
AL presidium member Nuh-ul-Alam Lenin said the responsibility of holding free, fair and peaceful polls lies completely with the EC. It is a constitutionally independent body and members of the law enforcement agencies remain completely under the EC’s control on the voting day, he added. “We are also worried about such violence and have already asked the EC to take proper action against those responsible for the violence and irregularities on March 22,” he said. Meanwhile, insiders of the ruling AL told The Independent yesterday that the EC has already been asked to take stern action against those organising anarchic activities, irrespective of their party affiliations, during the next phases of UP polls in a bid to hold these peacefully. AL joint general secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif said yesterday evening that the ruling AL wants to see free, fair and credible elections for which the Sheikh Hasina government would extend necessary support to the EC. “We have told the EC that it is independent. It can take any kind of steps to hold the next phases of elections peacefully. We hope the EC will take stern action against the irregularities during the voting in the next phases of the elections,” he added. The civil society platform Shushashoner Jonnyo Nagorik (Shujan) yesterday criticised the EC for failing to hold the polls peacefully, and also described the UP polls as “perverted”.

 

AL, allies fire UP poll violence salvo at EC

The alliance partners of the ruling Awami League (AL) have blamed the Election Commission (EC) for massive irregularities and violence in the first and second phases of the union parishad (UP) elections. The polls are being held in six phases. Talking to this correspondent, the top leadership of the AL-led 14-Party Alliance evaluated the ongoing local body polls as Opposition-free elections as there was no strong Opposition in the country right now. Alliance leaders also said they were fed up with such one-sided elections, adding that it was an ominous sign for the local government administration. They also expressed apprehension of a rerun of violence in the upcoming phases of the UP polls if the EC does not play its due role on the day of voting and if the government does not assist the EC in holding the local body elections peacefully. Over 30 people, including students of a school and of Dhaka University, were killed and hundreds, including three election officials, were injured in sporadic violence in the first and second phases of the UP polls held on March 22 and 31. Rashed Khan Menon, president of the Workers Party of Bangladesh, told The Independent yesterday that whatever irregularities that occurred in the recently concluded UP polls were very unfortunate and held the EC responsible for that. Definitely, ruling party leaders and workers cannot escape blame, he said. Sharif Nurul Ambia, leader of a faction of the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD), said the irregularities and violence in the two phases of UP polls were totally unexpected and the ruling party had used muscle power that day. The elections were totally one-sided and the EC failed to play its due role on voting day, he said, adding that the trend would continue in the remaining phases of the UP polls. Jatiya Party (JP-Ershad) co-chairman GM Quader also said the local polls were not held in a free, fair and credible manner, as AL leaders and workers flexed their muscles. This trend of interference by the ruling party should be stopped for the sake of democracy. Actually, the EC also failed in its duty. The poll monitor, on its part, said the government did not help it properly, he added. According to media reports, chief election commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad said the government did not extend the necessary and proper support to the EC for holding free and fair polls. On its part, the ruling party blamed the EC for failing to curb the violence. AL presidium member Nuh-ul-Alam Lenin said the responsibility of holding free, fair and peaceful polls lies completely with the EC. It is a constitutionally independent body and members of the law enforcement agencies remain completely under the ECs control on the voting day, he added. We are also worried about such violence and have already asked the EC to take proper action against those responsible for the violence and irregularities on March 22, he said. Meanwhile, insiders of the ruling AL told The Independent yesterday that the EC has already been asked to take stern action against those organising anarchic activities, irrespective of their party affiliations, during the next phases of UP polls in a bid to hold these peacefully. AL joint general secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif said yesterday evening that the ruling AL wants to see free, fair and credible elections for which the Sheikh Hasina government would extend necessary support to the EC. We have told the EC that it is independent. It can take any kind of steps to hold the next phases of elections peacefully. We hope the EC will take stern action against the irregularities during the voting in the next phases of the elections, he added. The civil society platform Shushashoner Jonnyo Nagorik (Shujan) yesterday criticised the EC for failing to hold the polls peacefully, and also described the UP polls as perverted.