The government must resign and hand over power to an interim government for the holding of a free and fair parliamentary election, Chief Coordinator of Ganasanghati Andolan Zonayed Saki has said.
Addressing a press conference in the capital on Thursday, Saki said that the caretaker government system was introduced because fair elections cannot be held under a political government in Bangladesh.
“In the last 50 years, we have seen that no party in power has lost an election because our structure is such that all powers are concentrated in the hands of one person while in power. Institutions do not have the opportunity to work independently,” he said.
Saki said that people had faith in the caretaker government before but even the caretaker government system had become politically biased now.
In the 2001 and 2006 national elections, political parties tried to keep a hold on the caretaker government by appointing their chosen people. That is why the age limit of judges was increased, he said.
There is now no hope for change if the power structure is not reformed, Zonayed Saki said.
In 2011, the Awami League abolished the caretaker government system, to perpetuate its hold on power, he said.
As a result, 153 people were elected without a vote in 2014. In 2018, votes were cast more than the actual number of voters, Saki alleged.
This proves that fair elections are not possible under a partisan government in Bangladesh. Even the caretaker government alone will not be able to ensure the permanent voting rights of the people, Saki said.
“We need a new political settlement agreement,” Zonayed Saki said.
The current government must resign. It is in everyone's interest that it do so, he said.
The interim government will form the election commission and scrap the EVM system. Voting will take place in transparent ballot boxes, he suggested.
There were three fair elections under the thirteenth amendment to the Constitution which can be reconsidered again, he said.