Billy’s Mail Box
Dear Billy, You must be aware of the latest achievement of president Yahya Khan of Pakistan. In the so-called by-election scheduled to be held next month in the strife-torn East Pakistan to fill 78 National Assembly seats declared vacant after disqualifying. imprisoning, killing or driving out of the country equal number of elected representatives of Awami League, the military regime has already managed to get 58 of the seats elected or selected without contest. You can very well imagine that the remaining 20 seats will also be filled in the same manner without requiring a candidate to canvass or votes or giving a chance to any voter exercise his right of franchise. In a country like East Pakistan where people have too much political consciousness and democracy mindedness, such a kind of election is novel, unknown and unprecedented. Yahya Khan’s army did a clean and efficient job in killing and terrorising Bengals in last March. The General must be satisfied that this time his military administration has done a wonderful job in getting elected selected candidates from the reactionary parties though they have no following in East Pakistan and Ali Bhutto’s People. Party which did not contest a single seat in East Pakistan in the 1970 election got miraculously six seats this time without contest General Yahya boasted that the election of 1970 was free fair and examplary. He is sure to claim that the byelection of 1971 has been fair. But does he still think that he can befool the world which knows much about the tragedy and repression in East Pakistan? Or can he pacify the Bengalis and solve the crises by getting elected without voting undesirable elements who will be lackeys to the milltary junta but no representatives of the people? Billy, do you think these novel steps would bring any solution to the Bangla Desh crisis in the near future?
Yours sincerely,
(Njoman Effendy)
Djl. Gandaria 5/15
Reference : The Djakarta Times, 30.11.1971