Nahid terms poll as ‘old authoritarian system’

National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener and Opposition Chief Whip in Jatiya Sangshad Nahid Islam said the presidential election has exposed the continuation of the “old authoritarian constitutional system", accusing the BNP government of acting contrary to its commitments to the July Charter and referendum verdict.

"The post of President would have been more respected if there was no Article 70 of the Constitution and there was an opportunity to vote freely," Nahid told reporters at Parliament House on Thursday.

Voting for the country's 23rd presidential election began in Parliament at 2pm and was scheduled to continue until 5pm.

BNP nominated its former Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, while an 11-party opposition alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami, including the NCP, nominated LDP Chairman Col (retd) Oli Ahmed.

With the BNP holding more than a two-thirds majority in Parliament, and NCP leaders alleging that Article 70 binds MPs to their party's decision in the election, Fakhrul's victory was virtually certain before voting. He ultimately won the election by 255 votes to Oli Ahmed's 88.

Nahid said the election should have been held through secret ballot under the July Charter and referendum verdict, but "that did not happen".

"BNP is saying one thing with its mouth and doing another in action," he said, alleging that the government had "cheated on the referendum verdict, the people and democracy" and betrayed the anti-fascist movement.

He said the NCP contested to preserve competition and send a political message.

"We respect democracy. Although the government has not made the necessary reforms, we have participated in the election so that it remains competitive," Nahid said.

He accused the government of "partyising" the administration and extending the practice to the presidency.

"Now, in the presidential election too, the Prime Minister herself is electing the President by giving party candidates through a kind of partyisation, where there is no opportunity to vote independently," he said.

Nahid said removing Article 70 could have opened the way for a balance of power between the President and Prime Minister. "But that is not happening," he said.

He also questioned the decision to hold a special sitting of Parliament for the election rather than a regular parliamentary session, as well as the role of the Chief Election Commissioner as the election officer instead of the Speaker. 

The Election Commission had announced that the CEC would serve as the returning/election officer and that MPs would vote in the Parliament chamber during a special sitting.

NCP Joint Convener Sarwar Tushar alleged that the BNP had "pre-set up" the election.

"Article 70 of the Constitution is not applicable in the presidential election in any way. Election means that the voter will vote for the candidate of his choice and that vote will be secret," he said, alleging that the provision had been misinterpreted to compel BNP MPs to support a particular candidate.

NCP Senior Joint Convener Ariful Islam Adeeb also alleged that MPs had been denied free voting rights, but said it was nevertheless positive that a presidential election was being held as part of a democratic process after 35 years.