Bangladesh

3 in 4 fear autocratic resurgence if politics doesn’t change

Almost three out of every four Bangladeshis said they believed there is a risk of autocratic resurgence if politics continues to be driven by business interests instead of public welfare.

A national opinion survey by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics found that almost 74 percent people warned of this resurgence if party nominations continued to be sold off.

Requested by the electoral reforms commission, this survey says four out of every five people favoured a mandatory provision of three years' membership to become eligible for a party's nomination in parliamentary elections.

This, people thought, would ensure that dedicated party members would get the party nod for national polls, according to the BBS survey on 46,080 households. Conducted December 20–22, the survey picked one adult (18 or older) respondent per household. The study was uploaded to the website of the electoral reform commission yesterday.

Badiul Alam Majumdar, chief of the Electoral Reform Commission, said the survey was meant to gauge people's opinion about elections and related issues. He said the commission developed recommendations in light of the opinions expressed in these surveys besides their own experience.

Regarding the notorious 'nomination business', which has become an open secret in the political circles, 48 percent respondents (which is almost half the people) believed that political parties and their candidates should try and prevent this nomination business, while 44 percent (at least two out of every five people) thought the responsibility should lie with the public.

The survey shows that 68 percent citizens prefer a non-partisan president, while around 29 percent favour a partisan candidate. It also shows about 83 percent (more than four out of every five) people favour directly voting for a president while 13 percent believe that parliament members (MPs) should elect the president.

About 47 percent of the respondents favoured appointing the Election Commission's own officials as returning officers (which is the top election official of each district during the national polls), while 44 percent said deputy commissioners could be made returning officers.

If voter participation is less than half the electorate then 78 percent favour re-election, which is almost four people out of every five. The same proportion of people (78 percent) favour a new election with a new set of candidates, if the 'No' vote emerges victorious.

About 74 percent were in favour of increasing the number seats for women in the parliament and preferred direct election.

The survey found that 65 percent supported local government elections before the next national election. And 70 percent favoured non-partisan local government elections, compared to 28 percent who preferred local elections to be partisan.

More than three people out of five (63 percent) were against political parties having separate student wings.

Also, half the people (50 percent) were opposed to political parties having branches abroad, but 42 percent (just over two people out of every five) were in favour. There was also overwhelming support (87 percent) for introducing electronic voting on a trial basis for expatriates.

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3 in 4 fear autocratic resurgence if politics doesn’t change

Almost three out of every four Bangladeshis said they believed there is a risk of autocratic resurgence if politics continues to be driven by business interests instead of public welfare.

A national opinion survey by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics found that almost 74 percent people warned of this resurgence if party nominations continued to be sold off.

Requested by the electoral reforms commission, this survey says four out of every five people favoured a mandatory provision of three years' membership to become eligible for a party's nomination in parliamentary elections.

This, people thought, would ensure that dedicated party members would get the party nod for national polls, according to the BBS survey on 46,080 households. Conducted December 20–22, the survey picked one adult (18 or older) respondent per household. The study was uploaded to the website of the electoral reform commission yesterday.

Badiul Alam Majumdar, chief of the Electoral Reform Commission, said the survey was meant to gauge people's opinion about elections and related issues. He said the commission developed recommendations in light of the opinions expressed in these surveys besides their own experience.

Regarding the notorious 'nomination business', which has become an open secret in the political circles, 48 percent respondents (which is almost half the people) believed that political parties and their candidates should try and prevent this nomination business, while 44 percent (at least two out of every five people) thought the responsibility should lie with the public.

The survey shows that 68 percent citizens prefer a non-partisan president, while around 29 percent favour a partisan candidate. It also shows about 83 percent (more than four out of every five) people favour directly voting for a president while 13 percent believe that parliament members (MPs) should elect the president.

About 47 percent of the respondents favoured appointing the Election Commission's own officials as returning officers (which is the top election official of each district during the national polls), while 44 percent said deputy commissioners could be made returning officers.

If voter participation is less than half the electorate then 78 percent favour re-election, which is almost four people out of every five. The same proportion of people (78 percent) favour a new election with a new set of candidates, if the 'No' vote emerges victorious.

About 74 percent were in favour of increasing the number seats for women in the parliament and preferred direct election.

The survey found that 65 percent supported local government elections before the next national election. And 70 percent favoured non-partisan local government elections, compared to 28 percent who preferred local elections to be partisan.

More than three people out of five (63 percent) were against political parties having separate student wings.

Also, half the people (50 percent) were opposed to political parties having branches abroad, but 42 percent (just over two people out of every five) were in favour. There was also overwhelming support (87 percent) for introducing electronic voting on a trial basis for expatriates.

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