Head of the Election System Reform Commission Badiul Alam Majumdar on Saturday said the Election Commission (EC) alone cannot ensure a free and fair national election without support from the government.
"If political parties indulge in muscle power and money games, a good election will not be possible," he said while speaking at a shadow parliament debate in the capital.
The debate, entitled 'The Role of the Election Commission is Key to Ensuring a Fair National Election', was organised by Debate for Democracy with its chairperson Hasan Ahmed Chowdhury in the chair.
Badiul Alam said it is essential to hold the election within the announced timeframe in February, ensuring a level playing field for all parties, but he stressed that along with the EC, candidates, voters, civil society, media and political parties all must act responsibly.
Referring to student politics, he said student bodies cannot be reduced to muscle power of political parties, as the results of university student union elections may even influence the national election.
Mentioning political parties as the main stakeholders of elections, Hasan Ahmed Chowdhury said that, they are yet to reach a consensus on several crucial issues, including whether to adopt the traditional or PR systems.
He added if elections cannot be held within the declared timeframe, the country could plunge into a grave crisis and urged all political parties to compromise for the sake of democracy, the country, and the people.
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