Among all stakeholders, political parties now hold the most crucial role. If they maintain good conduct, refrain from violence, and avoid unhealthy competition among themselves, the path to the election will be smoother.
Although there is no question regarding the neutrality of the Election Commission, there remain doubts as to whether it will act with courage.

It is also uncertain whether the Commission will be able to properly enforce the laws and regulations. Already, we have seen that although the RPO requires parties to form panels based on grassroots opinion for issuing nominations, no party has done so. This is a clear violation of the RPO, yet the Election Commission has taken no initiative on the matter.

Much of the public doubt surrounding the election has eased after the announcement of the schedule. However, challenges remain. If political parties engage in violence among themselves, uncertainty surrounding the election will re-emerge. At the same time, forces that are defeated or in hiding may attempt to derail the election. It seems unlikely that they will succeed in doing much, but if the unhealthy competition among political parties does not stop, those defeated forces will also find opportunity.

* Badiul Alam Majumdar is the former head of the electoral reform commission.