CEC warns of crisis if anti-polls activities descend into violence
Urges all concerned to carry out duties even if there is resistance to voting
Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal said today that there will be a crisis if anti-polls activities descend into violence, and voters are forcefully barred from going to the polling centre.
"Universal franchise was desirable in the election, but a section of the country's political leadership has boycotted the election and are speaking against the election peacefully. There is no problem with that. They can create public opinion peacefully, but if they oppose or prevent voters from voting in a violent way, then there will definitely be a crisis," he said while inaugurating a training programme for judicial magistrates.
"But that crisis has to be dealt with. Because the election has to be held at the scheduled time and in the prescribed manner. All have to carry out their duties even if there is resistance to voting," Habibul
EC is organising the training in the capital ahead of the 12 th parliamentary election on January 7.
Sixteen political parties, including the major opposition BNP and its allies, are boycotting the polls after failing to realise their demand for holding polls under a non-party caretaker government, saying that a free and fair election is not possible under the current government.
BNP and their like-minded parties are holding different programmes including hartal, blockades, mass campaigns to realise their demands after the boycott.
The ruling Awami League stood firm on holding the election under the present government, as per the constitution.
Many voters ask if they will be able cast their vote, Habibul said.
For some reason, a mistrust of elections has been created. In 2014, the election did not become universal, and there was violence. The 2018 election was participatory and peaceful, but later there was controversy over the election and it is true that public perception was not positive, the CEC said.
An election has to be credible as well as free and fair, he added.
Mentioning that there is an international dimension in the next national election, the CEC said none can underestimate it.
The international community must be shown that this election was free, fair and neutral, he added.
He said the Election Commission is responsible to the people of the country as well as to the international community.