Bid to resist Pourasabha polls to obstruct democracy: Leaders

Eminent political leaders yesterday described the coming Pourasabha elections as one of the most vital parts of empowering the people at all levels and observed that any resistance to this polls would obstruct the trend of democracy in the country.

Giving their reactions while talking to BSS on opposition of BNP and its allies including Jamaat and Jatiya Party to the coming Pourasabha elections, they said there arose no such situation that any local government elections should be boycotted or resisted.

Rather, the political leaders urged the countrymen to make the coming Pourasabha elections a success by their all-out participation which would benefit the nation's hopes and aspirations for establishing democracy at all spheres of national life.

The political leaders-NAP chief Prof Mozaffar Ahmed, CPB General Secretary Mujahidul Islam Selim, Workers' Party leader Haider Akbar Khan Rono and JSD General Secretary Hasanul Huq Inu - maintained that such local government elections would in fact consolidate power of the people at all stages.

Senior politician and chief of national Awami Party (Mozaffar) Prof Mozaffar Ahmed said that his party had already served circular to leaders and workers to take part in all local government elections.

He said he would not treat any party, which asked its leaders and workers to boycott the coming Poura polls, as patriotic as the ideas and objective of such parties were always incomprehensible.

"They are not able to understand what they are doing in favour of the vested interest groups," he said adding, "if they could understand the right perspective, they would not have opposed the coming pourasabha polls which is meant for consolidating power of the local government."

General Secretary of Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) Mujahidul Islam Selim said his party would discuss the issue with the left front and then take decision to take part in the coming municipal elections. "We may even support any independent candidate in this elections," he said.

The CPB General Secretary also said that his party would spearhead its struggle towards establishment of a congenial atmosphere for free and fair polls at all stages and to bring an end to the use of black money and muscle power in elections.

A polit bureau member of Workers' Party Haider Akbar Khan Rono said that his party leaders and workers would take active part in the coming municipal polls although it would not be a party basis elections.

But he referred to his party's earlier proposition for bringing about reforms in election rules, system and process so that black money, muscle and any illegal hand of the administration could not influence the polls at any level.

General Secretary of JSD Hasanul Huq Inu described as unfair strategy the bid to boycott any elections with a certain political motive. Such motive in fact speaks of a design to perpetuate bureaucratic rule and authority at all spheres of national life, he observed.

Inu referred to the constitutional provision for systematic change of a government through elections under a caretaker government but he vehemently opposed any opposition to the coming municipal polls. "Any such move will in fact hamper the process of peoples' empowerment through their elected representatives in administration," he said.

The JSD leader said his party would take part in the coming municipal polls and urged people to ensure their all-out participation in such an important elections which would strengthen the local government.