Yes to No

Yes to “No Vote”: Empowering people over Politician

The option to reject all the candidates in election and give vote on NOTA (None of the Above) is known as “NO Vote”. In our last election on 2008 we saw the implication of “No Vote” and became popular in new generation of Bangladesh. At present that we do not know about the existence “NO Vote” in our upcoming election. The Election Commission (EC) and political parties are not talking and making the issue clear to peoples. Recently in our neighboring country India, No vote or NOTA become legal and a powerful option in election.

Political parties have own lose & gain justification for not talking about it. But as a people of democratic and indecent country, we have the right to give our vote and select our future leader. In our country most of the citizen have doubt about the quality of our political figure. Selecting better from the worse become regular selection criteria of leader in our country. “NO Vote” gives us a option to say that we are not supporting corrupted and unworthy candidates.”NO Vote” effect in two ways. Firstly, though “NO Vote” is not counted in political leader selection process but as a person a voter utilizing his or her constitutional right. Absence of this option may leads many youth not to participate in voting process and if candidate want may manipulate that vote in favor of them. Secondly, question may come that, “Is there any after effect of this NO Vote? And “What will happen if the percentage of NO Vote become larger than other?”. In sort of situation, EC may create a benchmark that if the percentage of No Vote went in certain level then re election will be arranged on that seat, changing candidates on that re election etc. We all know that the expectation is like dream in our political situation but if EC want can do it for the grater benefits of people.

NO Vote can create a vibration on the mind set of our politicians and give us an option to utilize our...