The US election is over. The results of the election will be known in Bangladesh by Wednesday morning. We see before our eyes the elections and the government systems of the United States, as well as the elections and governments of Western advanced democracies. No country’s electoral system may be error-free, or even beyond criticism. However, it is generally recognised that Western countries have relatively durable democratic systems.

We in Bangladesh enjoy the contribution of the West in almost everything in our daily life. Our clothes, accessories, consumer goods – everything is almost Western. The houses we live in every day, the use of electricity, use of water, sanitation, running of businesses, trading, banking, creation of companies, running of courts - all these are built on Western models. This is especially true for those who live in urban areas. Though, I agree that indigenous elements are engrained vis-a-vis the Western elements.

Now if we can get used to the Western style in our everyday life, and consider Western style more suitable to our own practice, why cannot we follow Western style in elections and government system!

A commission has now been commissioned by the government to reform our electoral system. Commission’s work can seem tough and painstaking. But where there are so many examples before the commission, they certainly do not have to be Einstein or Karl Marx to formulate or prepare recommendations for a modern and democratic electoral system! People learn by watching. We are accepting so many things from the West in our daily life, why cannot we learn from their election system?

If we look at the United States, along with its presidential elections, congressional and senate elections are also held at the same time. Since we have a parliamentary system of government, we may not be able to exactly replicate the US presidential election model, and it is not also desired. However, since our national parliament has three hundred seats through three hundred constituencies, the interested political parties must create an organisational structure of their own based on those areas. Considering that not all parties will be able to build organisational structures in all areas, the registration of political parties can be regulated along that line. A political party can be classified as suitable for national elections, whereas another political party can only be classified as suitable for regional or local elections.

After the results of local elections reach a certain level, they can be eligible for national elections. Otherwise, smaller political parties may participate in national elections in alliance with larger political parties. In this process, the primary task of all political parties will be to develop and strengthen the relationship with the voters at the local level. The days of politics will be over by just sitting in the capital and making rhetoric.

Political parties can convene a convention at the local level to finalise its nomination process in a particular month. From a panel consisting of at least three representatives elected at the grassroots level, the party's high command may then finalise the candidature of all constituencies in a democratic process by further vetting and scrutiny determining eligibility as per the electoral law.

Each candidate or party concerned may declare election agents, who will also be registered with the Election Commission from time to time. The agent will be responsible for the expenses of the election, the supply of money, and the conduct of the candidate, and he will be answerable along with the candidate.

In many countries proportional representation is ensured by the number of votes cast. A separate chamber, such as the Senate, can be created alongside the National Assembly, which can play an advisory role even if it does not have the legislated power. This can be a suitable regulatory addition in order to ensure a check and balance in the system.

Australia has a preferential voting system between candidates. If no candidate receives fifty per cent of the votes in any constituency, first the votes of the candidate who received the lowest number of votes are excluded, and then those become preference votes, and those are added to the votes obtained by the candidate to whom he or she wishes to confer these preference votes. If no one gets fifty per cent of the votes even after adding preferential votes, the votes of the second lowest candidate may be added similarly to the votes of his or her preferred candidate. This process can be continued till someone secures fifty per cent of votes including the preferential ones. This will increase camaraderie between the candidates. In order to secure preferential votes, violence or militant rivalry between the candidates will be reduced. However, for the sake of transparency, this priority vote should be announced before the election.

Anyone in the opposition in Bangladesh gets impatient all the time with a sense of neglect and a sense of being out of power. That is why the term of the national parliament can be made four years like that in the United States.

The party nomination process may continue in September-October every four years. Election campaigning may continue in November. Elections may be held in December. Newly elected officials can be sworn in in January. In this way, everyone will know exactly when the next election will be held. The Election Commission will not have any burden of determining a day to declare other than for as a mere formality, and of course, except for natural disasters.

And then comes the issue of caretaker government or an impartial electoral system. Is it very difficult that the Election Commission will do the work of running the government for two months, i.e. November-December or three months i.e. October-November-December? At this time, there will be no appointment, no official visit and no inauguration of this or that. Only such work as deem necessary and authorised for election shall be done or can be done.

Curbing violence during elections can be an important task of the Election Commission. This will still require the assistance of our military personnel. However, the army personnel must work closely with the administration under the leadership of the Election Commission and may involve the public, even political parties or candidates, to ensure transparency.

It does not seem too difficult to control the expenditure of money in the National Assembly elections. If the mandate of the elected parliamentarians is limited to the national parliament, few people will invest money in them. Members of Parliament shall not engage in any developmental activities and will not recommend anyone for employment. They shall represent the constituency only in the legislative assembly and not elsewhere. By doing this, the balance of power will be created, the parliament will be effective, the local councils will be strengthened, the power will be decentralised, and the partnership with the people will increase throughout the governance system.

When the door of the West is open, why should we lag behind? Remembering Rabindranath Tagore, The western gates have been removed,/ Deluge of gifts flow like boon,/ Traditions exchanged, racial barriers removed,/ No one returns empty-handed –/ From this vast expanse of the great mankind.

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The writer is a former Bangladeshi Ambassador