Jamaat wants timely polls amid govt-EC tensions 

Uncertainty has emerged over the timing of Bangladesh’s long-awaited local government elections after the Election Commission (EC) revised its initial plan for a seven-phase Union Parishad election schedule following concerns raised by the government.

The EC on September 14 announced a tentative plan to begin the local government election process with Union Parishad polls on November 12. The proposed seven-phase schedule was to continue through May 27 next year. However, the government said it had not been consulted before the dates were announced, prompting the EC to clarify that the schedule was only preliminary.

The development has drawn criticism from Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, which fears that the local government elections could be delayed on administrative or other grounds. The party is demanding a clear and time-bound roadmap for the polls.

Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar told The Daily Observer, "If the Election Commission is intimidated by a state minister's remarks that reflects the commission's failure. The government has set a shameful precedent through this incident, which is in no way acceptable. We had already warned that strict action would be taken against a subservient EC. The latest development has made the situation even clearer."

Jamaat Assistant Secretary General and Central Publicity and Media Department Secretary Advocate Ahsanul Mahboob Zubair told The Daily Observer that there could be an attempt to extend the tenure of unelected administrators by delaying the elections on various pretexts.

He said the Election Commission should determine the election schedule independently and remain free from political decisions or objections from the government.

"We will not accept any attempt to delay the local government elections," Zubair said, adding that Jamaat wanted the elections to be held on time.

He also questioned the government's role in determining the timing of the polls and alleged that attempts could be made to keep "favoured" individuals in administrative positions until elections are held. These are Jamaat's political allegations and have not been independently established.

Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Maulana Abdul Halim also told The Daily Observer that the Election Commission should function independently.

"The Election Commission should work independently. If the government takes such a position, then what is the role of the other political parties?" he said. "We want the elections to be held on time because the EC is accountable to the people, not to the government."

On September 15, Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives State Minister Mir Shahe Alam said the government had not been consulted about the proposed Union Parishad election dates.

He said the government and the Local Government Division had learned about the dates through newspapers, social media and television.

Shahe Alam acknowledged the EC's constitutional authority to conduct elections but said local government polls traditionally involve consultations with the government, including preparatory and law-and-order meetings as well as discussions on budgetary issues.

The issue took another turn on September 17 following an interdepartmental meeting involving the heads of ministries and divisions.

Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah said the EC was reassessing the November and December windows and now aimed to complete the local government elections, particularly Union Parishad polls, before June 6 next year.

He cited annual examinations, the Higher Secondary Certificate examinations, Ramadan and the possibility of flooding as factors affecting the election timetable. The commission has yet to announce a final date for the start of the polls.

This means the November 12 date announced on September 14 is no longer a confirmed polling date.

Jamaat has demanded that the EC be allowed to independently determine the election schedule and that the local polls not be delayed unnecessarily.

The party's demands include a clear and time-bound electoral roadmap, equal opportunities for all candidates and safeguards against the political use of the administration and law-enforcement agencies.

Jamaat's position on holding local government elections promptly predates the latest dispute. The party has been preparing candidates and strengthening its organisational network at the grassroots ahead of the polls. Its Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar said recently that candidate selection for Union Parishad, Upazila Parishad, district and city corporation elections had reached the final stage in many areas.

The party has also raised concerns about administrators appointed to local government institutions. Jamaat wants such administrators barred from contesting the elections, arguing that their official positions could provide them with an advantage.

Bangladesh has around 4,580 Union Parishads, and 4,272 are expected to become eligible for elections by December 31, according to Election Commissioner Sanaullah. The EC has said Union Parishad elections should be held within 180 days of the expiry of the terms under the relevant law.

The immediate issue is therefore when the EC will announce a final and formal timetable.

Jamaat is pressing for elections to be held within a clear timeframe, while the government and EC say logistical, administrative, security and examination-related issues must be considered before the final schedule is fixed.

Until the EC formally announces the final schedule, the dates announced on September 14 should be regarded as provisional rather than a confirmed election timetable.