Dhaka, Aug 4: In yet another controversy ahead of the general elections in Bangladesh, the National Citizen Party (NCP) Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwari has labelled the Election Commission (EC) as a “spineless” institution, local media reported.
Addressing reporters, Patwari made the remarks after a four-member delegation led by him met with Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin. “The more we observe the Election Commission, the more we understand it is a spineless body….such a commission is supposed to guide Bangladesh towards democracy.
But we see that most of its components are either in military uniforms or clad in party colours,” Bangladesh’s leading newspaper, The Daily Star, quoted Patwari as saying after the meeting. He said that the Election Commission is a “vital constitutional institution” whose registration process is being followed by all members of the party.
“However, we’re also revealing to the public where the problems lie, and through our actions, people will gradually see that the EC lacks backbone,” the NCP leader added. The visit coincided with the last day for 144 new political parties, including the NCP, to complete their registration with the EC.
Report suggests that as the 13th national parliamentary election of the country approaches, a total of 144 political parties have applied for registration with the EC until June 22. However, following a preliminary review, none of the applications fully met the requirements.
Subsequently, the Commission granted a 15-day extension to allow the parties, including the NCP, to comply with the requirements, and the extended deadline ended on Sunday. On the final day, NCP leaders submitted the necessary documents to the EC.
“Based on the EC’s request and our internal review, we have submitted new documents today. We hope the EC will now move to the next stage of our registration process,” said NCP Joint Member Secretary Zahirul Islam Musa. This is not the first instance in which the NCP has criticised the EC amid the preparations for the general elections.
Recently, speaking at a rally, NCP’s Chief Organiser Hasanat Abdullah accused the EC of double standards, pointing to its position on inclusive elections. He also criticised the rejection of the Shapla symbol (water lily) to the NCP following objections from an EC member and raised doubts on the effectiveness of the online nomination process.
“A credible election is not possible under this commission,” he had said, pledging to oppose the EC through political means. During the rally, the speakers also reiterated their demand for overhauling the EC. –IANS int/scor/sd/