The ejection of the disgraced Tower Hamlets Mayor Lutfur Rahman, Britain's first elected Muslim Mayor is an inspiring example of the people's power in action.
Mr Erlam, a retired film-maker, Azmal Hussain, a Brick Lane restauranteur, Debbie Simone, a defeated Labour candidate and Angela Moffatt, a local resident decided to bring a High Court petition against Mr Rahman's re-election. Despite being expelled from the Labour party in 2010, with help of thousands of pounds buying him fawning coverage- Mr Rahman ensured victory was his. But little was known in bravery of the petitioners- that led to the truth being unfolded. The risk of these Tower Hamlets four was not only financial, but they were also termed as racists and Islamophobes, encouraging the English Defence League (EDL) in the area.
Disturbingly the police, that should have protected the common and acted for their good- went to take Rahman's side. Through out re-election they made reassuring statement that all was well. They also concluded on reviewing submissions from government auditors that there was no credible evidence requiring a police inquiry. When a criminal investigation was finally opened, the former 'investigating officers' in the court during the election trial were found laughing and joking with Mr Rahman's head of Public Relations. Scotland Yard has been accused of ignoring more than 20 complaints about suspected corruption.
Judge Richard Mawrey found Mr Rahman and his supporters had committed a litany of abuses. They were guilty of vote-rigging, seeking to influence the result through imams, wrongly branding rivals as “racists” and allocating local grants in order to buy votes.
The judge said the evidence indicated that Hafiz Moulana Shamsul Hoque, the Chairman of the Council of Mosques of Tower Hamlets led a lists of 101 imams and scholars, who wote a letter in Bengali in the Bangladeshi press, six day's before last year's election claiming that the Muslim religion was under attack and it was the duty of faithful Muslims to vote for Mr Rahman.
Bangladesh born Mr Rahman is the first person since the 19th century to be found guilty of the Victorian-era misdeed of unlawful religious influence.
Last November, Ken Livingstone, the former London Mayor spoke in support of Mr Rahman and urged Labour party to adopt him as a candidate.
At the same event, George Galloway, declared action against Rahman as “a racist, Islam-hating witch-hunt against the most popular and best Mayor in the country'. It is of new believe that if Mr Galloway fails to keep his seat in Parliament, he will be the selected replacement for Mr Rahman, and be nominated for the Mayoral post. Mr Galloway was given an enthusiastic welcome by local voters, when he had spoken out in praise for Mr Rahman, last year.
Mr Rahman's corruption is an example of peculiar factional politics. Voters could have any religion, ethnicity, language or faith- but the only identity that actually matters for civic purposes is common citizenship under the Rule of Law.
This episode of corrupt campaign has been an eye opener and should not be allowed to flourish again under any pretension- even at local level.
Lutfur Rahman has now been asked to leave his post, pay £250,000 in costs. He is barred from standing as a candidate and as a lawyer, may be struck off by the SRA.
Tower Hamlets First has been reported to have said that judgement against Mr Rahman comes as a shock. The Mayor denies any wrong doing, and said to have full confidence in the justice system. He is seeking further legal advice on the matter in relation to a judicial review.
