Editorial
HC's welcome directive
A solid step towards meaningful electoral process
The High Court has directed the Election Commission to ask the candidates for the next parliamentary elections to make sworn statements regarding certain things ranging from their academic qualification and source of income through bank loan default to criminal records, if any. The court has responded to a writ filed by three lawyers who argued that if the EC were to gather and make candidacy-related information public, it would help voters choose their representatives with better knowledge of the candidates' background and track-record. As the quality of public representation to that extent marks an improvement, it will also be an anti-dote to criminalisation of politics in the long run. The step has been long overdue. There have been questions in the public mind regarding quality and eligibility of many a representative that the voter has had to elect. The public interest litigation has addressed the dire need for society to elect honest and qualified people as members of parliament. The civil society leaders and the lawyers who moved it deserve kudos. Judicial activism has proved to be a boon. For our part, we have always tried to add our voice to the advocacy for bringing about the changes which would require the would-be lawmakers to undergo some sort of scrutiny before they were elected. The major political parties and the EC itself have expressed a positive response to the move and the latter, in fact, is preparing to implement the HC directive at the forthcoming Narsingdi by-election. The EC would, of course, do well to arrange projection meetings where the candidates will have to answer queries from the members of public on issues, if any, pertaining to their antecedents. The move to collect information on candidates will introduce an element of transparency into the elective process that has been hitherto missing. The benefits to be had of are manifold. People will be better placed to judge the merit of a candidate and those with criminal records won't any longer be able to hide their hazy past. No less important is the fact that the emphasis will be on academic qualification and performance as MP (in case of those seeking reelection). The black money power which is believed to be playing a monstrous role in the elections will be curbed to a great extent if the EC can implement the plan properly. The HC directive for the EC to make it obligatory on the part of the MP candidates to give a detailed and verifiable account of different aspects of their antecedents and credentials has to be supported and implemented wholeheartedly.
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