CEC calls it better
The chief election commissioner, Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad, claimed that the election to union councils in the second phase held on Thursday was better than that of the first phase.
He made the ovservation despite the killing of at least seven people and injuries to more than 60 others in violence during the second phase elections to 639 Union Parishads. Over a dozen of people were killed before and after the first phase of UP election.
“It seems that the second phase election has been better than that of the first phase,” CEC Kazi Rakib told a post-election media briefing at the election commission secretariat in the evening.
He, however, said some incidents of irregularities marred the commission's overall ‘achievement’.
“Polling was held peacefully in most of the places. But some incidents marred the achievement,” the CEC observed.
He regretted the killing of a child in gunshot in Keraniganj and a journalist being bullet wounded in Bhola.
Kazi Rakib termed unfortunate the incident of journalist being shot by the police.
Asked what action the commission would take against the police personnel responsible for the shooting, Rakib said, “It is an unfortunate incident. An Ansar member was killed in the bullet of his own gun. So, law enforcers must exercise caution while using the arms to avoid such incident.”
When a questioner asked for his opinion as to how Thursday’s election was, Kazi Rakib, well known for his trait of prevaricating question, replied, “It is you [newsmen] who will be able to say well as to how the election was, since you have observed it. What I understand from watching your [newsmen's] reports that there is both good and bad aspects in the elections.”
The CEC said, “Unacceptable practice of stuffing ballot boxes at the night preceding the polling day took place in the first phase. But that practice has not taken place this time for our measures.”
Kazi Rakib, however, hastened to add that ballot stuffing at dawn took place in one place. “But we took immediate action. We have cancelled the polling in that centre.”
When his attention was drawn to the fact that more people were killed during the polling in the second phase compared to that in the first phase, the CEC said, “The reason behind this is that miscreants have changed their strategy. They have chosen the polling day now.”
The CEC regretted the killing and prayed for the early recovery of those who were injured in the election violence.