Debapriya for visible initiatives by government, EC to allay public anxiety over elections

Both the government and the Election Commission must take visible initiatives to allay the growing public anxiety surrounding the national elections, said Dr. Debapriya Bhattacharya, Distinguished Fellow at the Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD).

Responding to questions from journalists after a regional consultation meeting titled 'Pre-Election Initiatives' organized by the Citizens' Platform for the Implementation of SDGs in Barisal on Wednesday (November 19), he said that during the ongoing crisis, the countrymen want fair, participatory and dignified elections. However, the responsibility to remove the apprehensions among the people regarding these elections lies with the government and the Election Commission.

Debapriya Bhattacharya said: "Although the Chief Adviser was enthusiastic about the reforms in the initial stage, later there was discouragement among the advisory council and bureaucrats. Therefore, the incomplete reforms must be included in the election manifesto of the political party."

He further commented at the meeting: “The trend of reforms must be continued through the upcoming elections. The people’s voices must be reflected in the manifestos of the election parties. Leaders must listen to what the voters say. The looting system must be broken through reforms through a collective voice.”

Debapriya Bhattacharya said that in the past, an oligarchic system was created in the country by a combination of businessmen, bureaucrats and politicians, which is known as ‘crony capitalism’. A ‘thief system’ was established there using the state machinery.

He mentioned that it is necessary to break this thieving system through reforms.