Grand alliance's demands

The three-point demand made by the Jatiya Oikya Prokriya should be looked at carefully by the government and not be dismissed off-hand. Although the first of their demands, which is the formation of a polls-time neutral government, is a matter that has been settled already by the Supreme Court, and the PM has talked about a poll-time government, it is important to ensure that the poll-time government is credible and acquires the trust of all stakeholders.

The second demand, which is the reconstitution of the Election Commission, however, should be made clearer. Given that the elections aren't too far away, we wonder whether tinkering with the EC would help at this point. However, what is important is for the EC to perform according to its mandate, rather than appear to be dancing to the tune of the administration, as it has been accused of doing in the recent past city corporation elections. Without a fair EC, elections will again be mired in controversy and people's right to choose their own representatives as guaranteed by the Constitution cannot be ensured.

Lastly, the third demand, dissolving the parliament before the announcement of election schedule, merits serious consideration. To contest in parliament seats that are not vacant is an unusual arrangement. And certainly a sitting MP contesting election for the seat he is holding will carry more weight and influence with the government functionaries in his constituency. That will not ensure a level playing field. And that is why parliaments are dissolved before elections in all democratic countries in the world.

In order to have credible elections, all political parties must have a say in the way elections are conducted. We hope the ruling party would recognise this and work towards holding elections that are acceptable to all parties and, most importantly, to the general public.