Polls boycott by any party won’t be a good decision: S Huda

Former Chief Election Commissioner Dr ATM Shamsul Huda on Saturday said it will not be a good decision for any political party to boycott the national election and parliament.

“Boycotting parliament or the election, I think, won’t be a good decision because people send them to parliament casting their votes in favour of them,” he said.The former CEC was addressing the National Election Olympiad in the city as the chief guest.

Shushashoner Jonya Nagorik (Shujan) in collaboration with the Hunger Project, an international voluntary organization, arranged the event at Cirdap International Conference Centre.“If they (who were elected by people) boycott parliament frequently on silly grounds, they actually make people powerless which doesn’t go with democratic values,” Shamsul Huda said.

“There may be discord, but one shouldn’t boycott the election for that. Besides, people don’t accept the traditional street movement while a country is marching forward,” he said replying to a question over the participation of Jatiya Oikyafront in the forthcoming polls.

About Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), Huda questioned the EC’s move to use that without having a consensus among political parties over it.“It can be questioned why the Commission is going to use EVMs without having the consensus of all if the EC wants the participation of all political parties in the election,” he said adding that the EVMs should be used after many trials and assessments, and having an understanding among the political parties about it.

He said his commission neither imported the EVMs nor procured those from any private companies. “We produced 250 EVMs through Buet and the Machine Tools Factory. Our decision was to use the machines only in local body elections.”Shamsul Huda said no initiative was seen from any government to make constitutional bodies stronger and effective.

“It’s essential to take measures for ensuring democratic practices within the political parties. But the Election Commission has no jurisdiction over it. So, the political parties will have to be held accountable through a legal process,” the former CEC said.

Addressing the function, Shujan executive member Dr Tofail Ahmed said now good candidates cannot survive in elections due to the influence of black money.He proposed bringing changes in the electoral system, introducing bicameral parliament and enactment of a coordinated law for the local government.

Shujan Secretary Dr Badiul Alam Majumder said it should bring changes in the country’s electoral system and a law should be enacted over the appointment of election commissioners.He urged the voters to cast their votes considering the qualification and competence of candidates in the national election. Shujan President M Hafizuddin Khan presided over the function.

source: UNB