The much-hyped roadmap to the 13th National Parliament elections, slated for February, was met with discontent over various issues after the Election Commission released the document on Thursday.
Uncertainty over the implementation of the July National Charter was the leading cause of concern.
The AB Party and Islami Andolon Bangladesh slammed the roadmap, saying most of what had been stated was a part of the EC's routine work, even neglecting to mention a tentative date by which the election schedule would be announced.
An attempt to maintain the old, corrupt system, Islami Andolon says
The Islami Andolan Bangladesh said it was "skeptical about the purpose of this substance-less, so-called 'smart' presentation", saying that people demand reforms and implementation of the July National Charter before an action plan is implemented under the same old arrangement.
It added that ignoring these issues was tantamount to ignoring the July Uprising.
"You've given an electoral roadmap — fine. Now, a roadmap for the implementation of the July Declaration must be announced without delay. Otherwise, the core objective of the July uprising will fail — and Islami Andolan Bangladesh will not let that happen," said Maulana Gazi Ataur Rahman, joint secretary general and party spokesperson.
"Elections are important in a modern nation and we are also looking forward to the elections. However, Bangladesh is now in a blood-soaked, extraordinary situation. On July 24, students and the general public sacrificed their lives to cleanse 54 years of filth and to achieve permanent liberation from autocracy.
"Without presenting any roadmap regarding that, bringing back the old arrangement in the name of an electoral roadmap is effectively a denial of July."
He added that although the nation is eagerly awaiting comprehensive reforms and various initiatives have been taken, the unfortunate reality is that all such efforts have been reduced to paper documents.
"Not even the slightest fundamental reform has been implemented. Therefore, before any other roadmap is introduced, a roadmap for the implementation of the July Declaration must be presented."
Rahman also questioned why no decision has yet been made regarding the legal basis of the July Declaration.
"There has been no resolution on whether the election will be held under the existing system or under a proportional representation (PR) system. Before resolving this issue, the EC has no moral authority to announce such an action plan.
"In such a situation, announcing an electoral roadmap—while ignoring the hopes, aspirations, concerns, and anxieties of the nation—is nothing but an ill attempt to maintain the old, corrupt political arrangement."
AB Party flags waning confidence over July National Charter implementation
In a statement, AB Party Chairman Mujibur Rahman Manju and General Secretary Barrister Asaduzzaman Fuad said they had hoped that the commission would hold a formal view-exchange meeting with political parties and stakeholders before announcing the roadmap.
It added that although the government and the EC adopted a strong stance to hold elections by February, there remains some doubt in the public mind.
"The main reason for this is the uncertainty over the implementation of the July National Charter," it said, adding that it would be difficult to hold an acceptable election if there was a lack of trust in the administration and law enforcement agencies.
It also expressed disappointment that its proposal to reduce the voting age to 17 went unaddressed.
Jatiya Party President questions EC's preparedness
Ehsanul Huq, president of the Jatiya Party and coordinator of the 12-Party Alliance, said: "The Election Commission has released a roadmap which seems routine and lackluster. For the tasks that could or should have been completed quickly to organise the election, the timeframe given raises doubts about the upcoming election and the Election Commission's preparedness."
Comments