KCC elections

The much-anticipated Khulna City Corporation mayoral election has been held and we congratulate the new mayor on his victory. However, considering some of the reports regarding rigging, booth capture, and voter intimidation on the polling day, we wish the EC would have handled the matter more efficiently.

For the country, the Khulna and Dhaka city corporation elections hold more significance than any other local elections in recent times. The interest in these two polls is because they are being held in the general election year. The anticipation as well as apprehension thus created amongst the people was only natural. Everyone was looking not only towards the EC to see how well the commission acquits itself and proves its credentials, but also towards the various agencies of the government and their role in facilitating the conduct of the election.

Regrettably, there are reports of rigging, booth capture, and intimidation of opposition voters on polling day, which the commission says are too few to cast any doubt on the validity of the entire election. But the very important point the commission is missing is that election does not mean polling day only. It is a process that starts from the day the election schedule is announced right up to the day the ballots are cast. And that is where we feel that the EC might have been more assertive. 

But now that the KCC election is past, there is the Gazipur election which, thankfully, the verdict of the Supreme Court has helped resurrect, and we wait to see how that is conducted. But at the same time, we wonder when the Dhaka City Corporations poll would be held, if at all.