FEMA for political reconciliation before municipal elections

A meeting of the national committee of the Fair Election Monitoring Alliance (FEMA) yesterday expressed deep concern at the projected opposition boycott of the forthcoming municipal polls and urged the political parties to resolve their differences through dialogue, and by taking practical measures, says a press release.

It also stressed the need for contested and meaningful polls - a universally accepted principle of pluralist democracy.

Ambassador Abul Ahsan, Acting Chairperson of FEMA, said, "Elections are only a means to an end. The end in this case being the emergence of representative urban local government taking charge of the affairs of their respective locality."

The alliance also urged the government to initiate a dialogue with the opposition to facilitate their participation in the polls. It observed that though the municipal polls are not held on party basis it is generally the leaders of the political parties that contest the elections. In the absence of participation of opposition political parties the choice of the electorates becomes limited and the polls lack credibility.

The meeting further held that the Election Commission must not only be seen to act independently but must be perceived to be non-partisan in order to enhance its credibility.

Abul Ahsan said that in a situation of political confrontation, ordinary citizens become captives to the contenders of political powers. All efforts should, therefore, be directed towards political reconciliation paving the way to participatory elections, he added.