No winners, only losers

Election Day invariably creates a festive mood mingled with a sense of anticipation. The recent mayoral contest in Dhaka on April 28 was no different. It marked a surge of renewed hope that contestable politics was back in the country's political arena. As I walked to the neighbourhood polling station in Gulshan to cast my vote, I passed the usual potholes, piling garbage and overflowing gutters. The unkempt city steeled my resolve to vote for an enlightened and dedicated City Corporation that might make a difference to the lives of ordinary Dhaka residents.

This election was not about sweeping promises to alleviate poverty in five years or for building a "Sonar Bangladesh". It was about cleaner living conditions, better traffic management and injecting some sanity in the urban sprawl – issues that affect our daily lives. Also, after the long hiatus in political activity and months of violence and uncertainty, the main opposition party, the BNP, had agreed to contest the polls. Thousands of voters swarmed the booths to choose their preferred candidates. It was a relief to see representatives from the two major parties facilitating the electoral process and the voting in our precinct was conducted in an efficient and professional manner.

Back home, I sipped my mid-morning coffee and felt a sense of comfort at the thought that Bangladesh was back on the democratic track. My coffee cup was barely half empty when I was hit by shock waves – no, it wasn't an earthquake. It was the announcement on the TV Channels that the BNP had cried foul and pulled out. Accusations began to fly and the rumour mills went into action declaring that the elections were a sham. The BNP claimed that their polling agents had been harassed and in some cases votes had been cast even before the voters arrived on the scene.

I am not a political analyst, neither am I privy to any inside information. However, after reflecting on the sequence of events I have mentally constructed two alternative scenarios on what could have gone amiss. 

The first is the government's version that the BNP's withdrawal was pre-planned and part of a greater conspiracy to discredit the electoral process and reignite violent protests. The purported objective was to generate a state of anarchy that could force the government to concede to their demands of a national election. But if indeed this is true, the BNP's hasty withdrawal has failed to give the party political traction. On the contrary it has demonstrated a degree of insensitivity toward the voters' aspirations for "change". Prior to taking this extreme position, complaints could have been lodged with the Election Commission and the public should have been made more cognizant of the specific nature of voting irregularities.

In the alternative scenario, let us accept that the elections were not fair and the ruling Awami League (AL) did not adequately protect the rights of the opposition parties. But the question that puzzles me is: Why? The AL has an absolute majority in the Parliament and is in full control of major decisions pertaining to the country. Then why would it tamper with the results of a City Corporation election, which can only make a small difference in the bigger picture? Can their leaders be so shortsighted that they did not foresee that any anomaly in the electoral process would undermine the goodwill created through the promise of a free and fair mayoral election? Experience has shown us that a "winner take all" strategy does not pay off in the long run. 

Whether the BNP's hasty decision was pre-planned or not, one cannot deny that the onus of responsibility for ensuring a fair and transparent election lies with the government. It should have been more vigilant and instituted tighter checks and controls, particularly given the history of allegations and counter allegations. Even if the authorities are not directly responsible for voting irregularities they should have taken adequate measures to protect voters' rights.  If eyewitness accounts are to be believed, the administration failed in maintaining the neutrality of the electoral process.

All elections have winners and losers, but this one only gave us losers. The main casualty has been the loss of trust and hope, which had miraculously revived during the election period. The old man limping with slow but confident strides toward the polling booth, the woman in a wheel chair who climbed up the stairs of the polling station leaning on her grandson's shoulder, the young people patiently waiting in the voting line, they all lost. Because they believed that they were empowered to elect a leader of their choice. Political analysts may rant and rave about "what happened" and "what next", but the truth is that there is only one solution to the problem. The solution will come only when the party leaders start thinking of what they can do for the people, not what they can do to win power and position.

The writer is a renowned Rabindra Sangeet exponent and a former employee of the World Bank.