Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan on Wednesday said that under the proposed proportional representation (PR) system, voters would no longer choose specific candidates as their representatives, rather they would only vote for party symbols.
“In PR, you will not vote for any candidate. You will vote for a party. No specific person will be chosen as your representative. The party will decide who the representatives are. They will not belong to any fixed constituency but will be MPs of the whole country. Then where will people go with their problems?” he said.
He made the remarks at a press conference in BNP central office in Dhaka announcing the party’s week-long programmes marking its founding anniversary, beginning on September 1.
Nazrul Islam Khan pointed out that such a major change in the electoral system has not been clearly explained to the people.
“Democracy is a concept, but it is practiced differently in different countries. Similarly, PR is also a concept, which countries apply in different ways. But here, no political party has clarified how they want to implement it. People are not aware of the system, yet it is being pushed onto them,” he said.
He said that without public understanding and acceptance, no proposal – good or bad – can be effective.
“We have not even asked people what they think about it. If you go to Keraniganj and ask a local person, will they understand what it means that their constituency MP may not come from their area? Has anyone sought their opinion?” he asked.
Khan said that the lack of clarity makes the proposal questionable.
“When something is insisted on without explanation, suspicion naturally arises. We believe it is an unreasonable attempt, and because it is not relevant or accepted by the people, it will not last long. At one stage, it will disappear on its own,” he added.
He further noted that even if there was agreement on PR, it could not be applied in the upcoming election without constitutional amendments.
“The power to amend the constitution lies with parliament. So even if anyone wants it, PR cannot be introduced in this election,” Khan further said.