[ALOCHONA] Local Government Elections

Local body election

Courtesy Daily Star 29/6/08

Zabedin, Dhanmondi, Dhaka

 

In the last fifteen days, I talked to about fifty of my friends and relations who are not blind supporters of any political party about election in local bodies. All of them supported the move of the present govt. to hold election of local bodies before the national assembly election. I asked for their reasons to support such a move and the interesting answers are:

1. As the major political parties ( the AL has changed its stance) are against such election, it is well understood that local body election will make the situation difficult for the political govt. to go back to their democratic (!) governance, as they practised before one-eleven against the very interest of the nation.

2. Local bodies' election will bring accountability to the elected representatives.

3. Development of our country cannot be accelerated without decentralisation of decision making authority to implement development projects with transparency.

4. If the election is not held now, this will again give the corrupt politicians the chance to force the agencies to construct thousands of bridges and culverts just to feed one house as done in many villages during their rule.

5. As the political parties did not fulfil their pledge to hold election at upazilas during their 15-year rule, they will never do it when they go to power again.

6. When the present government can take a number of measures for good governance, then what is wrong in holding the election of local bodies in the greater interest of the nation?

Local body election

Courtesy Daily Star 29/6/08

Wasif Wahed, Old DOHS, Dhaka

 

 

The local government elections (four city corporations and nine municipalities) that are going to be held on August 4 is a step in the right direction. The two major political parties the AL and the BNPappeared to be against the polls but we cannot afford to bear any further delay regarding holding of the local polls (particularly, upazila elections). If there are doubts as to whether the caretaker government is planning to run their “hand-picked” candidates in these polls, then holding of the local government elections will, in effect, act as a signal to the people as to whether the polls are held in a farcical manner or not.

The simple point is that the two major parties feel reluctant ( the AL has changed its decision) to hold the local polls as they fear that their influence at the field level will be lost. The fact that they have not held upazila elections for more than 15 years and that the MPs had the final say in local matters are sufficient reasons to believe that when elected, these parties are unlikely to hold upazila elections. In other words, the lawmakers will once again continue to wield their influence in upazilas and continue to plunder national wealth by constructing un-finished bridges, taking bribes from contractors, awarding tenders on the basis of nepotism and favouritism. We cannot afford to let that happen.

In addition, the terms of the five city corporations have also ended which in itself is a logical reason to hold the polls to city corporations right now.

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