Questions loom over referendum legitimacy: CPD

The Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD) has warned that the credibility of the upcoming referendum could be questioned due to weaknesses in the existing framework and related ordinances.

CPD Director Khandakar Golam Moazzem made the remarks at a media briefing held at the BRAC Centre in Mohakhali, Dhaka, titled “Green Society in Electoral Areas: Candidate and Voter Survey Findings” on Saturday February 7.

He said that the 13th national parliamentary election and the referendum are scheduled to be held together on February 12. During this period, candidates are busy with election campaigns, presenting various promises to voters through their manifestos. However, from a practical perspective, the national election cannot be considered fully inclusive to the extent that it should be.

Golam Moazzem further noted that due to the limitations in the structure of the referendum and the related ordinances, questions regarding the credibility of the referendum results may arise. In this context, CPD believes that greater attention should be focused primarily on the parliamentary election in this round of voting.

Regarding the analysis of election manifestos, he said that ahead of elections, CPD and other think tanks typically conduct in-depth and analytical discussions on political parties’ manifestos. These discussions focus on what kinds of manifestos are needed, the differences among parties’ manifestos, and which important issues are missing.

The media briefing also noted that CPD’s research covered 150 electoral areas across the country, selected for their environmental and disaster-prone characteristics. The survey included 450 parliamentary candidates and 1,200 voters. The results provide an overview of the current state of a “green society” in the electoral areas and highlight voters’ expectations.