The New Nation - Internet Edition

Kobir A Chowdhury

In democratic society we get the opportunity to choose and pick new leaders to change our directions and political future with intervel of every few years. Citizens must participate in the election process to vote in every election, weather local or on national level. It is not an option but our civic duty. Politicians are elected and appointed by citizens to push their agenda and policies on their behalf. Citizens hire them (politicians) based on their characters, willingness, ability, experiences and determinations. We must exercise your right to vote and choose the leader who will represent our best interest.

Time and time again politicians promise us to fulfill our needs during campaign seasons. Yet they always break their promises: rather disappoint us and disappear until next election. We fall into their falsehood each and every time. When we are fooled by a politician for the first time they are lucky, second time around we must blame ourselves but third time we are fool. We can't accuse them for being lucky, blame us for repeating our mistake or be a fool for the third time. We have been acting as we are fools for decades to let politicians fool around us with serious issues. We are very vulnerable to our politicians.

No matter what they do we keep falling in their traps. We must put our act together now, be smarter, cast our vote for the right candidates and warn them about our expectation and their accountability. Politicians must fulfill their promises to represent common causes and needs of general public.

By definition (dictionary.com) politics is "The art and science of an administration of a government or the affairs of state and its population". Politician is the person who pursues and occupies an elective office chosen by the common people and for the common people.

Ordinary people choose extra ordinary leaders with vision to lead them towards greater possibilities and prosperity. R.A Butler (1902-1982) said: "Politics is the art of possible". True politicians are good people, elected by the people to serve the people.

During the campaigning season no doubt all politicians will come for vote.

They will some time promise to build the bridge where there is no canal. The best way to judge and know their credentials is not what they promise but by asking direct honest questions, know their backgrounds and accomplishments.

We must not be influenced by anybody weather they are our family, friends, neighbours nor try to influence anyone else to support one candidate over another simply because your vote is a very personal matter and we must take responsibility for it.

Candidates with history of corruptions and past convictions of any crime must not be allowed to participate in the election. Nonetheless we should ever elect any politician who has betrayed our trust more than once, abused power to only fulfill their financial needs and political future. We must identify and filter to isolate bad politicians from political process to prevent risks of taking our country back to where it has been for three and a half decades. If we let this only opportunity go by without isolation of top influential rotten leadership from every political party, we might suffer consequences like past for decades to come.

We must wake up and take control of our future by voting in the good politician and voting out the bad ones. Our future depends on this election and the future leader we elect.

We have to subtract the bad leadership from all parties especially the ones with control and influences, induct reliable, trust worthy, people free from corruptions and leaders with visions for future of our country, so that we have enough good politicians. That's the only formula to cure our national and political cancer like disease. Any other measures of reform will not help and may have more deadly side effects with no second chance.

We must candidate who is fair but most importantly he is duly qualified. He or she has to be honest, transparent and hard working. Our leaders must be worthy of good moral characters with dignity, sense of accountability and also a clear vision for our future.

They have to have skills to work with people and must be above and beyond discrimination against race, creed, gender, religion and culture.

It is hoped to be a free election. We have been part of a democratic society, exercising out rights to vote, working hard to support our families, educating ourselves to improve and prosper in life, on the other hand, many our leaders were never on our side.

Many of the politicians have always been corrupted, dishonest and greedy. In fact, politics has been the most influential career for financial security and wealth. Most politicians are very well of after a few years in politics while we are still at the bottom in the world map for poverty.

Yet people are dying of hunger, do not have enough clothes or a safe place to live.

But unfortunately we are number one or two most corrupted country in the world.

That's why most of our leaders residing in jail cells charged with corruptions and steeling from the very people who have elected them over and over again.

No matter what they promised or which party or who assumed power, general public was not benefitted upto expectation: it was always about them (politician and their party).

Neighboring countries are competing in the world with nuclear capability because their leaders are responsible and are held accountable.

It is earnestls hoped that the people of Bangladesh is ready, willing and able to change direction of our nation to be prosperous. People around the world recognise our ability, readyness and need for political change.

The real source power of any democracy is the ordinary men and women. Voters mandates and writes political history for better or worse. So far the history of our democracy has not met its goal. Leaders we have chosen in the past to represent us had mostly misrepresented, betrayed our trusts and abused power so much so that we can not trust them again.

People of our great nation has always been ready to take steps to improve their lives, has the ability and vision to choose good from bad and has the compelling desire and willingness to do whatever it takes.

We work hard, support our families, obey law and order of our land and do everything to be a good citizen. But many of our politicians have not kept any promise they made in any level of government and gave us nothing in return.

Our corrupted political system and politicians are no secret to the world. But no doubt Bangladeshis (ordinary citizens of Bangladesh) are recognised for hard work, respected for being trustworthy, awarded for being talented and compatible and as successful as any other human being from any other part of the world given the same opportunities.

In this election we must not let politicians take us for granted and must exercise our rights to vote more effectively to choose leaders that have been tested before and has the same readiness, the ability and the willingness to work for us and to change the directions of our country.

Change will not come if we do not change and keep electing the same politicians. We must change our policies to expect changes from politicians. It's time to change how we vote, who we vote for and make sure we stay in charge before we put them (politicians) in charge.

Despite what's happening with the election process and how it is being conducted what remains in our control is our votes until we waste it.

Let's improve ourselves, let us be true patriotic, let us dream bigger, and let's do what other democracies have done to get their politician work for them, let's make history for our next generation. We can and must do it. We have to do it now in this election.

We have let politicians dictate for too long. Reclaiming our country, our future, our dreams are long over due. We have to take back the power, must choose candidates with caution and make sure we do not repeat our mistakes. This might be our best opportunity to be free once and for all. We rather have dream for possibilities and a better future then live in the reality of our darkened past. Vote, tell others to vote and be part of history. It is the right thing to do.