A Bangladeshinfo.com Analysis

The one-sided affair of campaign by the candidates in the city corporation elections has gained a bit momentum now with main opposition Awami League remaining clearly a nonconformist party to the present-day politics during the BNP-led regime, political analysts say.

The upcoming scenario is that it is like a one-party government (four-party alliance in this case), which will govern the nation, against an opposition that is set to say NO to anything done by the elected government. It is a vindictive kind of politics perpetrated by the main actors lacking participatory democratic practice.

Having no signs of reconciliation in the confrontational characters of politics, the country's three cities are heading towards the elections scheduled for April 25 (Thursday).

Because, there is no such overture to bring the main opposition into confidence of the ruling party and the government nor has there been any willingness or response from the opposition camp to extend an olive branch to the rival rulers.

In the city corporation polls, the BNP regime had little to do to convince the AL high command to join the elections since it is a completely non-party affair under the jurisdiction of the Election Commission. Unlike Caretaker Government, no such formula is available to persuade a hostile opposition to take part in the electoral process.

In absence of AL, Mayoral candidate from the ruling party alliance in Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) Sadek Hossain Khoka is going almost unchallenged.

Fazle Hassan Badshah of the left-leaning 11-Party Combine has posed a potential contest against BNP candidate and present Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) Mayor Mizanur Rahmabn Minu MP. Incumbent Mayor of Khulna City Corporation (KCC) Shaikh Tayebur Rahman is facing a similar challenge. But in both cases, AL's boycott of polls brought the small-party candidates into the forefront of the competition.

Contenders for ward commissioners in the city corporation polls naturally continued their campaigns to woo the voters, who are looking reluctant to the process in absence of any potential challenge as expected in the polls campaign.

Whatever contest appears likely is due mainly to the AL's fielding of candidates 'unofficially' although the party has openly declared its boycott of the city corporation polls.

Some analysts say AL has committed a mistake by boycotting the polls as it could have provided the party, which conceded a humiliating defeat in the October 1 parliamentary polls, with a chance to mend the schism and re-organise the party workers overcoming the trauma.

"Since AL is historically an election-bound party, the results in the city corporation polls were likely to be favourable to the party," one of them said adding that maybe the party is yet to settle down mind what is to be done.

On the other hand, the ruling BNP regime too has missed the chance to make the election results more acceptable and satisfactory as the ballots are being held at a time when the government is not old at all, a period with which AL has its fear of losing the battle.

Both the parties believe they have done the right things from their respective points of view, no matter what kind of democratic latitude they have.