Electoral atmosphere warning signal for democracy: Mahabub Talukdar

Election commissioner Mahbub Talukdar on Monday dubbed the existing electoral atmosphere as a ‘warning signal’ for democracy and underscored the need for reform to the entire electoral system.
Mahbub Talukdar made the observation in a written statement issued during the second phase of the upazila parishad elections held amid a low turnout of voters.
He said that the reform to the electoral process was needed for holding a meaningful election and to ensure the continuation of democracy. 
‘But it is not the Election Commission’s job to reform the electoral process as it is a matter of political decision,’ he pointed out. 
The only vocal election commissioner who always fearlessly spoke against the electoral irregularities also said that the government devised plans to hold the civic body elections.
Mahbub Talukdar further said that he hoped that all political parties would participate in the elections in future which would be held in a free, fair and credible manner.
He said that ongoing upazila parishad elections was an exceptional one since most of the political parties did not participate in the elections.
The election has lost its glory amid boycott by most parties, which in turn, led to the voters’ loss of interest — they are now disinclined to go to the polling stations, he said.
The commissioner also said that that the trend of candidates getting elected unopposed has been introduced through the current election.
‘In my option, election means competition among many candidates. If it is not held that way, how is it called election? Those who were elected unopposed, what are we to call them — selected or elected?’ he elaborated.
He further added that over a hundred people have already been elected uncontested in the absence of candidates to oppose them and there is a likelihood that 50 more candidates would be elected uncontested.
Mahabub Talukdar had been consistently criticising different decisions of the EC on various issues since his joining as an election commissioner.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net