THE stand that the ruling Awami League and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, the largest in the opposition camp, have taken on participation in the staggered upazila council elections, the first phase of which involving 150 upazilas would take place on May 8, presents a fractured control on the rank and file of both the parties. The Awami League has ordered members of the family and relatives of its ministers and members of parliament to pull out of the electoral fray. The party鈥檚 general secretary at a briefing at the party president鈥檚 political office on April 21 said that members of the family and relatives of ministers and party lawmakers would keep off the upazila elections. But members of the family and relatives of at least 14 Awami League ministers and lawmakers who filed nominations for the first-phase upazila elections have not withdrawn their candidature until April 22, when the withdrawal of nomination papers closed. On the other front, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which along with most other parties in the opposition is keeping off the electoral fray, on April 15, announced that it would not take part in the elections. But at least 45 leaders of the party have submitted nomination papers and a handful of them withdrew their candidature on the closing day.
Both the parties have warned the aspirants, members of family and relatives of party leaders in case of the Awami League, and party leaders in case of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, action in the event of breach of party discipline. Relatives of many Awami League lawmakers have, meanwhile, also filed nomination papers for the second phase of the elections, involving 160 upazilas which would take place on May 21. At least 30 grass-roots leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party have also filed nomination papers for the second-phase elections. The filing of nomination papers for the second phase closed on April 21. All this suggests a weak democratic control of the high-ups in the party on the rank and file in both cases. The situation further suggests a poor democratic culture, or no democratic practice at all, within the parties as both the parties appear not to have made the decisions democratically. While the situation remains troublesome for both the parties, it also tends to indicate that the party high-ups cannot effectively control their rank and file, which in some cases, could be dangerous for people and the nation. Such situations could also lead to violent acts or violence as reining in leaders in the grass roots could be difficult when they would need to be reined in.
It is, therefore, expected that both the parties first must ensure the practice of democracy within the parties as no in-party democracy in a democratic dispensation is largely troublesome. It is highly unlikely that parties would delve deep into democratic dispensation if they are not democratic in their party affairs. Besides, both the parties must learn how to rein in their rank and file when it is expected that the rank and file need to be reined in to head off any risks within the party and in the country.