Election was fair, but not ‘too competitive’, says former CEC Nurul Huda

The CEC said that the BNP’s decision to boycott the polls limited their participatory nature

Former chief election commissioner KM Nurul Huda believes the general election has been fair, but not as competitive as expected because of the BNP’s boycott.

He joined Editor-in-Chief Toufique Imrose Khalidi for http://bdnews24.com’s live broadcast of events, results and analysis from the newsroom on Sunday night after the polls closed.

“The election process and management were good. I think the election was fair and acceptable except for some incidents of violence. Foreign observers have also said the election was fair,” Huda said.

But the 2018 election was competitive because all the political parties, including the BNP, contested the polls, he said.

“A large political party has not contested this election. The context is different. The situation is different from what it was in our time,” the former CEC said.

Rights activist and development worker Khushi Kabir observed that the Awami League government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had some degree of acceptability among the people.

She also thinks the BNP, by boycotting the polls, has lost an opportunity to get closer to the people.

“The fact is, we may become a one-party government, but they are in power and the people have accepted them. They [people] are neither toppling the government, nor are they boycotting it [government],” she said at the live broadcast.

“The Awami League and the BNP are not shifting their positions. The BNP says participating in the election will make it acceptable to all, and they cannot contest any elections as long as Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League are in power. They [BNP] want an election under a caretaker government.

“But for whom do they [the BNP] engage in politics? For the people. Although everyone has a different ideal, there’s always an opportunity to get close to the people during elections. They [BNP] have moved away from the people. They have lost the opportunity.”

Former state minister Tarana Halim, member secretary of the Awami League’s election management committee, said it seemed to her the election was a good one.

Asked about the cancellation of Awami League MP Mustafizur Rahman Chowdhury’s candidacy, Tarana said: “He faced allegations of breaching the electoral code of conduct. He was informed about it, but did not follow it. That’s why the Election Commission thought it was necessary to scrap his candidacy.”