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Speakers at a round table yesterday underlined the need for empowering voters, proper implementation of electoral laws, creating pressure on the political parties for bringing a total democratic environment in the country.
Some of the discussants voiced against the unbridled corruptions in the judiciary and political activities of anti-liberation forces in the name of democracy.
Criticising the partisan lawyers, Former Chief Election Commissioner Justice Abdur Rouf said, although they demand for the Election Commission reforms in the street, later they fight against the powerful and independent Election Commission in the Supreme Court.
Shushashoner Janney Nagarik(SHUJAN) , a coalition of individuals across Bangladesh actively working to achieve good governance, yesterday organised a round table on ‘ Reducing the Electoral Expenses and Quick Resolve of Electoral Disputes: Precondition of People Representative Democracy in the city in association with Daily Star and Danik ProthomAlo.
Justice Rouf urged the Election Commission for increasing the number of polling centers and proposed double counting of every vote in presence of the candidates to avoid any controversy.
Election Commission can never manipulate any results, he observed adding where thousands of presiding officers along with the polling agents involve in the process.
Demanding the black money holder disqualified in election, eminent lawyer Dr Kamal Hussein said, a stereo test about their electoral expenses is necessary before 30 days of election.
Kamal proposed a high-powered investigation cell by which financial expenses of the candidates could be scrutinised .One can not even imagine to fight in a constituency of the capital without expending at least Tk.5 curare, he observed.
Justice Naiymuddin Ahmed said,‘It is only EC who has absolute sovereignty over holding any election, adding a care taker government has a constitutional obligation in assisting the EC.’’
Former Advisor to the Caretaker government ASM Shajahan urged to detect the leakage of present electoral laws and to decrease the facilities of parliamentarians so as to discourage the black money holders in participating in the elections.
Eminent Economist Quazi Kholiquzzaman said, people do not want money,they want development. Rejecting the results of the previous elections, Historian Sayed Anwar Hossain voiced for a ban on the politics of anti-liberation forces and revealing the sources of income of the politicians in public. Democracy Watch Director Taleya Reheman stressed on totally independent Election Commission.
About the criminalisation of politics and politicisation of crimes, Major General (Rtd) Moynul Hossein called upon politicians to bring an end to these.
Politics in our country is nothing but a disorderly act, he claimed.
Fair Election Monitoring Alliance (FEMA) President Munira Khan called for accountability of political party regarding their financial expenses.
Major General (Retd) Ibrahim said, parliamentarians should engage themselves in making law, not in distributing the relief. This will discourage the black money holders to take part in the elections, as they do not know how to deal with law in the parliament, he told.
Criticizing some reports in media, Brig. Sakhwat Hossain said, in all elections including the historic 1970, army were deployed but they were never given any power of magistracy rather power of arresting during the election period. Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) President Prof Mozzafur Ahmed moderated the round table while Daily Star Editor Mahfuz Anam gave the welcome speech.
Former Jatiya Party MP Sheikh Shahidul Islam and Hunger Project country Director Dr Badiul Alam Mojumder, who is also the General Secretary of SHUJAN, among others, participated in the round table.
mizandeshi@yahoo.com
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