Our George Washington!
Our George Washington!
OVER 18 years ago, the BNP-led government defended the February 15, 1996 controversial election arguing that it was necessary for continuation of the constitutional provision. Now, its archrival the Awami League-led government has been using the same defence to justify the January 5 election. This time, however, the AL-led government has also been facing widespread criticism for unopposed election of 153 MPs in the January polls.
A Jatiya Party leader has challenged the provision of unopposed election. A High Court Division Bench has been taking opinions of legal experts to dispose the writ petition. Some legal experts have already given their opinions to the court against the en mess unopposed elections. On behalf of the government, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam, on Tuesday, defended the uncontested election. In so doing, he claimed that candidates have been elected uncontested in many countries. But his examples in favour of the claim are very surprising and erroneous as well. He cited unopposed elections of former US presidents George Washington and James Monroe. This means, elections of Washington and Monroe as presidents are comparable to the elections of our 153 MPs. The attorney general might have forgotten how Washington and Monroe were elected presidents unopposed. Let us revisit the history of how Washington was elected president.
Washington, one of the founding fathers of the USA, was elected president twice as the unanimous choice of the electors. The electoral colleges elected him unanimously as the first president in 1789 and again in the 1792 election. He remains the only president to have received 100% of the electoral votes. The first US Congress voted to pay Washington a salary of $ 25,000 a year, which was a large sum in 1789. He was already wealthy and declined to take the salary as he valued his image as a selfless public servant. He, however, finally accepted the payment to avoid setting a precedent whereby the presidency would be perceived as limited only to independently wealthy individuals who could serve without any salary.
How were our 153 MPs elected in the January 5 polls? More than half of the country's voters did not have any say over their elections. Not a single vote was cast. But they were elected to be public representatives. What are the precedents they are setting for their successors? Think about the controversial and unlawful activities of only two AL MPs elected unopposed -- Shamim Osman in Narayanganj and Nizam Hazari in Feni. Are they our George Washington?
The writer is Senior Reporter, The Daily Star.