Uncontested elections lead to voters’ apathy towards election: Mahbub Talukder

Uncontested elections lead to voters’ apathy towards election: Mahbub Talukder

Election commissioner Mahbub Talukder on Wednesday said that voters were losing their interest in election for irregularity in elections and for corrupt electoral system.

‘Voters’ apathy towards election is a bad omen for democracy. The credibility of the electoral process and management depends on it. The Election Commission should not be held solely responsible for overcoming this difficulty. This situation cannot be improved without a general consensus among political parties,’ he said.

He also said that candidates being elected uncontested in local government elections discredited the country’s electoral system.

‘It becomes essential to find out the reasons behind elections being held unopposed and to take actions accordingly,’ said the election commission at a press conference in his office at Nirbachan Bhaban in Dhaka.

He organised the press conference to talk about the first phase of Union Parishad elections held on Monday.

The elections were marked by violence, boycott and irregularities.

Forty-three ruling Awami League chairman candidates in 160 union parishads were elected unopposed.

‘Multi-party participation in an election is a must for a multi-party democracy,’ he added.

Mahbub said that the silence of all concerned parties and groups on International Democracy Day on September 15 disappointed him.

He questioned the party’s integrity and ambition in practising democracy by saying, ‘Are we reluctant to join the adventure for democracy?’

Talukder, the acting chief election commissioner, said that it was not possible to introduce a sudden change in electoral management in such a short period of time.

‘Three people were killed in the elections. It is extremely painful. I have always said that elections are not more important than lives. Whatever the incident or accident takes place in an election, the responsibility falls on the Election Commission,’ he said, adding that measures were taken to prevent the recurrence of unforeseen incidents such as electoral violence and irregularities in future elections.

Talukder also said that the turnout — 69.34 per cent — in this year’s UP elections was quite good.