Don’t want repeat of last 3 city polls
Election Commissioner Mahbub Talukdar yesterday said he did not want the upcoming polls to two Dhaka city corporations to be like the ones held in Barishal, Gazipur and Khulna city corporations last year.
“Experience of holding elections to the three city corporations [Barishal, Gazipur and Khulna] was not pleasant for me at all, Mahbub said, adding that he did not want to see a repetition of such elections in the case of Dhaka north and south city corporations polls to be held on January 22.
He made the comments at a training programme for returning and assistant returning officers at the Election Training Institute.
The polls to Khulna, Gazipur, Barishal, city corporations were held between May and July 2018 and faced huge criticism due to alleged anomalies.
Mahbub said the commission is independent as per law, but this freedom is confined to the election process.
“That’s why reform in the election process is needed. If the election is the precondition to democracy, then there should be a free and fair election for the smooth advancement of democracy,” he said.
DEBATE OVER EVM
At the programme, Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda said the commission did not see any problem with the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in the DNCC and DSCC polls while Mahbub Talukdar was sceptical about using the electronic device in polls.
The CEC asked the election officials to treat all candidates equally.
The use of EVM will continue as the commission has seen benefits of using the devices in national and local elections, Nurul said, adding that the EC officials have been given adequate training on the use of EVM and that they have attained enough skills.
Speaking at the same programme, Mahbub said many stakeholders were still hesitant over using EVM in the election.
“It is an acid test for the commission…If the use of EVM faces question, the election will also face question,” he said.
He asked election officials to have zero-tolerance attitudes to create a level playing field for all candidates
All the election commissioners said the two Dhaka city corporation polls would be very crucial for the EC as the citizens across the world would keep an eye on the polls.
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