Hard to assess candidates' polls expense

Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad yesterday said it was a difficult task to figure out the exact amount of candidates' electoral expenditure.

“We have already asked the contesting candidates of the recently held city corporation elections to submit their expenditure statements.

We will be able to know about that after getting the statements,” he said while briefing reporters at the media centre of the Election Commission (EC).

The CEC made the remarks when his attention was drawn to a Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) report that claimed mayoral candidates of April 28 city polls had spent up to 21 times more money than the ceiling of the polls expenditure set by the EC.

“It is difficult to figure out the exact amount of expenditure. All reports are not accurate. But we will look into it,” he said.

As per electoral laws, all contesting candidates must submit their election expenditure statements within 30 days of gazette notification. Therefore, the candidates will have to submit the statements by May 29.

In response to the TIB's report that claimed the elections were not held in a free and fair manner, the CEC said, “We have got a report of the TIB. We will see it and take the findings in consideration.” 

Two organisations, which monitored the elections, submitted their observation reports to the commission. These reports mentioned that polls were held in a fair manner except for some stray incidents, the CEC claimed.

The CEC briefed reporters following a meeting on law and order situation ahead of the by-polls to Magura-1 constituency to be held on May 30.