পাতা:বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (দ্বিতীয় খণ্ড).pdf/১৯৮

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বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ দ্বিতীয় খণ্ড
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of the Union Councils/Union Committees. The bias of these institutions as far as their own work is concerned will be towards development, social service and improving the lot of the people within that small area.

 As a matter of fact, the great strength of the system of Basic Democracies lies in the fact that by creating electoral colleges comprising groups of people whose main object would be to promote the welfare of the communities in which they live, such people would look for similar attitudes and qualities in the representatives at the national level also.

 On the other hand, when the electoral college is divorced from the affairs of local government, it becomes purely political forum and there is no means, especially for an unsophisticated electorate, to judge the members of the electoral college on the basis of their concern for the public interest. The elections for such an electoral college do not possess any sense of immediacy or importance for the mass of the people, as the purpose for which the electoral college is formed is relatively remote from their own needs. These elections tend to become a mere formality and such a system invariably becomes a vehicle for political intrigue and corruption.

Small size of Constituencies

 The second objection which people have to indirect elections is the limited size of the constituency in terms of voters. As regards the elections of the President, this objection cannot apply as the electoral college, which at present consist of about 80,000 people and would in the future probably increase to 1, 20,000 can by no means be considered small or capable of easy manipulation.

 In the case of elections to the legislature, each constituency would comprise about 500 voters at present and about 750 in future, this objection would seem to stand. It must, however, be remembered that in a Presidential form of government the legislature does not have the power to directly influence the executive. The motive for election, to the legislature which operated under the Parliamentary system where the executive was directly dependent upon the legislators, would no longer apply. In the case of Parliamentary Government elections to the Legislature were considered an investment in the power to influence the government to take actions, which would benefit, or omit to take actions which would adversely affect the interests of the legislator, his party men or this supporters. Under the new system, elections to the legislature would bring no such promise of immediate gain and, therefore, such elections will not be regarded as a direct financial investment in a business venture. Also, the type of people likely to be elected to the Basic Democracies will be those anxious to serve, and the whole climate of opinion prevailing in these institutions will be one of service to the community. Under such conditions, by and large, corruption and intrigue within the Electoral College are no likely to be the dominant forces in deciding the outcome of election.

 It must also be remembered that each member of the electoral college have been elected by a relatively small group of people, say 500 adults, which the normal ward of 800-1200, would probably have. The elector would, therefore, be under the watchful eyes of his neighbors and if he compromises his integrity by accepting a bribe for