Democracy loses charm in absence of fair polls: Mahbub Talukdar

Democracy loses its charm, if elections are not held in free and fair manner, observed election commissioner Mahbub Talukdar on Wednesday.
He also said that those who do not believe in democracy want to make the election system questionable and curb the festivity of the elections.
He made the remark, addressing a training of trainers at Electoral Training Institute in Dhaka for the people who would conduct the voter enrolment programme across the country.
‘It is not possible to hold a free, fair, credible and acceptable election by destroying the sanctity of votes,’ he added.
He also said that the votes were the symbol of sovereignty of the people of an independent country. ‘Through casting ballots, people get the opportunity to select their representatives and the aspirations of the people are reflected through the process, which we call elections.’
Vote, despite being a tiny word, had a broader implication and two other words — election and democracy — are also interrelated with it, he said.
He further said that if the word — vote — elucidated, inevitably the word freedom comes to mind as the freedom, democracy and election had set the background of voting.
Only through their voting right, people take part in the state power, which could be either at national or regional level, he added.
Election commission secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed was also present at the programme.

 

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net