Allegations against EC ‘false, ill- motivated’

Those who said people are losing faith in elections have an ill motive, Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda said yesterday, referring to a press conference by 42 distinguished citizens.

He told reporters at his office that elections had been competitive with 60 to 70 percent voter turnout.

It has been reported that eminent citizens urged President Abdul Hamid to form a supreme judicial council to probe allegations against the election commission, he said.

"This can create confusion among countrymen and the EC needs to make its position clear on the issue. That's why we are holding today's briefing."

However, he did not take any question from reporters.

Forty-two eminent citizens on Saturday said they had on December 14 urged the president to constitute a supreme judicial council to probe allegations of corruption and misconduct by the EC.

They mentioned in a letter to the president that members of the EC indulged in misconduct and irregularities, under KM Nurul Huda's leadership. They mentioned irregularities in spending of over Tk 10 crore.

Three election commissioners have also allegedly been violating rules in their usage of vehicles.

The letter said the commision committed gross misconduct in the 11th parliamentary election and city corporation elections in Dhaka, Khulna, Gazipur, Sylhet, Barishal and Rajshahi.

There were irregularities during the purchase and usage of the electronic voting machines, they said.

About the allegation of spending Tk 2 crore on special speeches at training sessions ahead of elections, Huda yesterday said that allocation for special speakers for 11th National Election was Tk 1.04 crore, and for the 5th upazila election, it was Tk 47.70 lakh.

"The allocation was less than Tk 2 crore… So, the allegations… were made on false information," he said.

Huda added that the commissioners had yet to get their cars three and a half years after taking oath. "The allegations that three cars are being used flouting the rules were totally false…."

The EC does not import voting machines, he said, adding that it was not involved in any financial matter during the procurement. "So, there is no question of corruption."

He then refuted the allegation of corruption in recruitment, saying that the recruitment process was fair and impartial.

About the allegations of misconduct during the elections, Huda said diplomats from different countries observed the election and did not raise any question.

International election observers said good things about the elections. Print and electronic media did not publish or broadcast news on irregularities in the elections, he claimed.

Election commissioners Rafiqul Islam, Kabita Khanam and Brig Gen (retd) Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury, attended the briefing and Mahbub Talukdar was not there.