Contesting From Multiple Constituencies
Javeed Ahsan, Dhaka
In the ideal practice of most parliamentary democracies, candidates are not permitted to contest from more than one constituency, and are required to be residents of the constituency they are contesting from. But the practice in Bangladesh has been way apart. Candidates can contest from up to five constituencies and every Tom, Dick and Harry can contest from any X, Y or Z constituency. This practice leads to huge loss of national resources as the EC has to arrange many bi-elections and the candidates contesting in bi-elections have to spend the campaign money twice. A struggling country with scarce resources like Bangladesh can not allow this wastage. Often the impact of this provision can be far reaching. A party may form government after winning a certain number of seats in the parliament, but after completing the bi-elections the table may turn around if the party loses some seats. Such a situation will lead to chaos due to intimidation and election manipulation, should the winning party find itself at risk of losing power. The provision to contest from five constituencies was created by the political leaders who wanted to secure their seats in the parliament. We can not allow some politicians who want to be elected by hook or by crook to secure their self interest at the cost of national interest. If contesting from multiple constituencies is allowed, the MPs should also be allowed to keep those seats if elected since they have been elected by the people who want them to be their representatives. Professor Dr. NA Kalimullah, Chairman of Janipop, has been advocating the idea that one candidate should be allowed to contest from one seat only, and I totally agree with him. Having to contest from multiple constituencies means that the candidate is not confident enough of his/her popularity. In that case, should the candidate think of being a national leader and leading the nation? Leadership must start from home. Contesting from constituencies one doesn't belong to or resides in should also be discouraged. This practice will lead to confining leaderships in the hands of a few people and will not allow new leaders to rise. A parliament member who is from his own constituency will have a better understanding of the local problems and policy requirements. Now that the EC has opened discussion with the civil society on proposed election law reforms and is in the process of amending the laws, I hope the above points will be taken into consideration.
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