The eve of another epochal national election in Bangladesh is being marked by more unrest than hope in the public sphere. The internet, newspapers, and TV talk shows are full of news about increasing political confrontations, political insults against conflicting political parties, religious sentiment use as a political mobilising tool, and the disturbing political engagement of children in political campaigns. To this strain is an increasing story that elections are being played, not fought, and that government officials are being lured, willingly or not, into what is being called an extra-curricular referendum campaign.
The Election Commission (EC) is at the forefront of this turbulent atmosphere where it is being scrutinised to do so with greater independence and to protect a process that was supposed to represent the real will of people. The issue of the Commission is not just technical, but moral. It must show impartiality, transparency and decision-making in a landscape where trust is easily broken and polarisation is firmly established.
Election is not just an administrative practice; it is the basis of democracy. Political competition may be a positive influence on the development of the country when citizens feel that their voices are heard. As soon as they realise that the outcomes are predetermined, participation is replaced by cynicism, and the debate is replaced by the confrontation. Bangladesh seems like it is at a place where the future of its democratic culture is pegged just as much on the quality and nature of its political discourse than it is the quality of its electoral practice.
It is perhaps the most worrying finding that violence has become normalised in the lead-up to the polls. The opposition to the supporters of the parties, attacks on the election offices, and the harassment of the campaigns and citizens are being reported with disturbing frequency. These cases are not just damaging people; they undermine the very atmosphere of elections. The fear fails to turn out, particularly women, minorities and first-time voters and perverts the level playing field that elections are expected to give.
EC is mandated with the responsibility of providing a safe and harmonious voting process, which in most cases is done with the law enforcing agencies. But there is a growing perception among the masses that this role is under trial. Whenever violence emerges unbridled, it propagates an institutional ineffectiveness or selectiveness – both of which make the process ineffective.
Debate is the lifeblood of political contestation and the rhetoric of the day all too often tends to run into inexorable blame. Parties blame each other in voter list manipulations, local government influence, or state resources to benefit the partisan. These allegations, true or false, influence opinion in society’s way before the moment a court of law can give its verdict.
The risk is in the accumulative effect: repeated accusations, boosted by the media and social media, will become a self-fulfilling prophecy. When citizens feel that the system is fixed then they can choose to lose interest or they can protest and confront instead of engaging. The EC, thus, has two problems: not only to be impartial, but to be perceived to be impartial. In dealing with the perception of bias, it is necessary to have transparency in making decisions, effective communication, and responding to complaints in a timely manner.
The use of children in the election campaigns is, perhaps, the most ethically problematic development. Their appearance casts serious doubts whether as the participants of the rallies, carriers of posters, or a symbol on the promotional materials. Children are future citizens who should not be used as a means of political messaging.
The international conventions that Bangladesh is a signatory state insist on the protection of children against exploitation and political interference. The EC among other state institutions has a role to play in ensuring that campaigns are not conducted in ways that are against these principles. Allowing this to be perpetuated is a message that moral limits are open to discussion when seeking political gain.
Election engineering is a term of political commentary. It represents a general ideology that results are molded in an administrative ruling, a legal game, or backroom deals as opposed to the ballot box. Although this can hardly be proven, the fact that they are widespread is destructive.
It is not an easy job to hold technically sound elections, as far as the EC is concerned, but to reinstate faith in it. It entails open independence of those in political power, strong supervision of the electoral officers and open accessibility to internal and external observers. Once lost, trust is difficult to regain, and faithful and upright performance can initiate that work.
The reports that the government officials are being utilised, directly or indirectly, in the campaign processes complicate the situation even more. The civil service is neutral, and this is a foundation of fair elections. The lines between the state and party are not drawn when bureaucrats are viewed as partisan actors.
EC can establish codes of conduct and engage in actions against infractions. This is necessary to enforce these rules without considering political affiliation. The act of selective enforcement is not any better than none since it creates the impression that institutions are in the service of power and not the people.
The media environment in Bangladesh is highly dynamic, and therefore, it is instrumental in building the electoral discourse. The issues are raised by investigative reporting, political talk shows, and discussions in social media and keep actors accountable. Meanwhile, unsubstantiated rumours and sensationalism can be used to fuel the fire and misinform people.
The EC can take the initiative of communicating with the media and giving the correct information and clear procedures. Educated citizens are less prone to rumours, and they tend to base their judgment on facts and not rhetoric.
The problems that the elections process in Bangladesh is going through are very serious but not impossible to overcome. It is a beginning with strengthening the EC capacity, institutional and moral. This involves providing sufficient resources, legal support and safety of its officials in the field. It also involves an obligation of transparency: circulating decisions, justifying actions and soliciting criticism.
Even political parties are to be blamed. Democracy is not a zero-sum game in that the win justifies the means. Codes of conduct should not be empty pieces of paper; they should be living documents that the parties should abide by. It is possible to spread culture of peaceful involvement and respect to difference with the help of civil society organisations, religious leaders, and community groups.
After all, elections are the reflection of society. The ongoing turbulence is a manifestation of more profound problems of trust, inclusion and accountability. The EC is at a pivotal point: it is possible to see it as an inactive referee who is being carried away by affairs, or as an agent for enforcing a democratic standard.
The writer is the Protection Specialist and CEO at Favor Consultancy. E-mail: [email protected]
