Citizens seek unhindered voting rights

The ordinary citizens of the country desire a government and governance system that will act in the welfare of the people. A government is an institution entrusted with the responsibility of governing the state on behalf of the people. A government administers the state based on its own perspective and ideology. According to our country’s current constitution, the political party elected through the direct vote of the people is the one that will govern the country. The only legitimate path to state power is to be elected through the direct vote of the people. It is expected that the political party which receives the support of the majority in the national parliamentary elections will govern the state.

When a political party participates in an election, it makes commitments to the people regarding what actions it will take if elected. The public supports political parties based on their election pledges. After a political party forms the government, the people expect to see how well they are fulfilling the promises made during the election. They want to know how committed the government is to implementing its declared pledges. In the subsequent national parliamentary elections, general voters will exercise their voting rights based on the government’s success in fulfilling its promises. This is the normal process. Unfortunately, we have started to forget this process over time.

The interim government system that we are currently witnessing is not an ordinary system of government. In the past, we have seen national elections conducted under caretaker governments several times. The main responsibility of the caretaker government was to conduct fair national elections within a specific timeframe and then hand over power to the newly elected government. However, the current interim government system that we are witnessing is an entirely new system of governance in the context of Bangladesh. After the fall of the previous government through a mass uprising with widespread participation of students and the general public, the current interim government took over the responsibility of running the state in a specific situation.

At that time, there was a strong desire to ensure that autocratic rule would not return, and at the same time, to move towards building a society free of inequality.

Therefore, as the current interim government conducts national elections, it will begin identifying and addressing the various inequalities present in the state. Furthermore, to prevent the return of autocratic rule, the government will lay the groundwork for rebuilding the constitutional and other institutions that have been destroyed over time by the ruling authorities through their politicization, which rendered these institutions ineffective.

In the past, we have witnessed that even after the ousting of an autocratic regime, another autocratic system entrenched itself once again. In other words, the objectives or goals for which the people seek to change a government are not achieved. When one autocratic regime falls, there are many reasons behind the rise of another autocratic government to power. In particular, the foundation of the economy heavily influences the behavior of the government. If there is a corrupt economy, it provides the grounds for the emergence of corrupt politics. And to safeguard this corrupt politics, a government must inevitably become autocratic.

In any country, there are certain institutional frameworks that prevent the government from engaging in autocratic behavior. These institutions limit the actions of the government, holding them accountable for their activities. If these institutions are able to function independently, they can contribute to the welfare of the people to some extent. However, in recent years, we have seen that these institutions have been rendered ineffective or destroyed through politicization. In the past, these institutions played the role of facilitators for the government. One of the primary responsibilities of the interim government is to engage in discussions with various political parties and thinkers to chart a path for the reconstruction of these institutions, so that they can be used for public welfare.

One of the slogans of the student movement was to build a society free from discrimination. Therefore, a crucial responsibility of the interim government is to work towards eliminating the inequalities that exist across various sectors of society. To achieve this goal, the interim government will need to draft a framework for reforms and make recommendations. If these recommendations are accepted based on a consensus, efforts can be made to encourage the next government or various political parties and groups outside the government to play a key role in implementing these recommendations.

If this issue is pursued seriously, it can be generally said that after the next elected government takes office, it will be responsible for implementing these reform actions. However, some tasks may not be achievable by the interim or unelected government. For these tasks, the elected government and parliament will be necessary.

The interim government we are witnessing today is neither a revolutionary government nor a regular government. Therefore, it is natural that their activities will be limited in scope. Recognizing this reality, the current government must establish a clear and specific plan of action.

Our electoral system has completely collapsed. In at least the last three national elections, the general public has been unable to exercise their right to vote. The national elections of 2014, 2018, and 2024 were entirely controversial and received no acceptance in either national or international forums. The common people are becoming increasingly disillusioned with the electoral process. Therefore, one of the main tasks of the current interim government will be to create an electoral system where people can freely cast their votes and exercise their voting rights without any obstacles. It must ensure that no power can influence the electoral system.

When the interim government had discussions with political parties, we suggested that they present a clear framework to the nation regarding what steps they wish to take for electoral reforms. They may engage in discussions with politicians and social thinkers to create such a framework. Based on these discussions, an electoral system should be developed in such a way that no questions arise regarding the legitimacy of future national elections. A framework for reforms should be designed, and if possible, some reform activities should begin. While it may not be possible for the interim government to complete the entire reform process, it is not their responsibility to do so. Their role is to create a framework for the reforms. The next elected government will be responsible for implementing the reforms. The interim government’s primary responsibility is to initiate the reforms. The interim government has expressed support for our viewpoint in this regard. However, with almost 200 days passing, there has been no visible effort from the interim government to directly engage in discussions with political parties regarding electoral reforms.

Upon reviewing the actions of the interim government over the past few months, we can say that the desire for national consensus on electoral reforms has yet to be fulfilled. One of the main duties of a functioning government is to restore peace to the lives of the people. For the past decade, an authoritarian government held power, and the general public was frustrated and dissatisfied with them. This dissatisfaction led to their removal from power. However, the interim government has not demonstrated much success in establishing peace in the public’s mind. The law and order situation has not yet returned to normal. The upward trend in essential commodity prices continues. The real income of ordinary people has not improved. The high inflation rate has severely disrupted the cost of living for the common people. The interim government has not made any significant achievements in controlling abnormal inflation. Moreover, no strong actions from the government in this regard have been observed.

Despite all of this, we still hope that the government formed through the people's uprising, especially the students and the general public, will move forward to fulfill the people's aspirations. However, the current interim government has already entered into some controversial activities from the outset. The unity that had been formed among all sections of society during the student and public uprising is now beginning to show cracks. The interim government is trying to bring the Liberation War into controversy. By talking about rewriting the constitution, it has stirred up various debates. Why should we rewrite the constitution of an independent country that was gained through the blood of millions of martyrs in the Liberation War? There are many imperfections in our constitution, and we pointed them out back in 1972. Since then, many amendments have been made, but those imperfections have not been addressed. Therefore, it is necessary to consider taking steps based on consensus to address these imperfections in the constitution.

Some are labeling the constitution as the constitution of a particular political party, which raises questions in the minds of the general public about the real objectives or goals of the interim government. Controversial issues and activities are being raised, making people increasingly skeptical about the government's intentions. It is crucial to ensure that no one within the interim government creates any controversy. We must remember that the primary expectation of the general public from this government is a fair election and a democratic environment. We want an environment where people can freely exercise their voting rights. During the previous government's tenure, the democratic environment was disrupted. A competition for the plundering of state resources had begun. Freedom of speech was stifled, and a reign of fear had been established across the country.

It is primarily for these reasons that the student and public uprising occurred, ultimately forcing the government to be disgracefully ousted. The main responsibility of the current interim government is to introduce a democratic system where ordinary people can freely exercise their voting rights, where there is freedom of speech, and where no future government can turn authoritarian once in power. To achieve this, a voting system must be established where the government cannot diminish the people's voting rights at will. At the same time, Bangladesh must continue to move forward in the spirit of the Liberation War. Most importantly, we must tirelessly work towards realizing the aspirations of the 2024 people's uprising.

We must remember that the authoritarian regime we removed was not just an individual—it was a system. Those who held power under that system will continue to try to preserve it. Due to the long-standing reign of fear in society, undemocratic and evil forces have grown stronger. It is essential to ensure that these forces do not become more prominent in the future.

Bangladesh's geopolitical position is crucial. If we fail to resolve our internal issues and if the government cannot meet the aspirations of the people, foreign powers will inevitably attempt to expand their influence in Bangladesh. Therefore, we must also be vigilant on this front.

Ruhin Hossain Prince: General Secretary, Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB).

Transcribe: M A Khaleque