Foreign envoys ask EC if voters being forced to vote
Foreign envoys in Dhaka have asked the election commission (EC) whether any pressure is being created on the voters to go to the polling stations to cast their votes in the upcoming 12th national election on Sunday.
The EC said there is no point of forcing the voters. But the EC as a routine work creates awareness among the voters to exercise their franchise.
Chief election commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal said this while speaking with the newsmen after briefing foreign diplomats and representatives of international organisations on the election situation.
He added that the foreign envoys have also asked about the number of election-related complaints and possible time to publish the results.
The CEC said the foreign diplomats asked if the voters are being pressurised to show up in the polling stations.
Those who are boycotting the election might urge the voters not to go to the polling stations. That can create a pressure among the voters, the CEC added.
He said the pressure can rather be from the other way round.
Those who are boycotting the election might urge the voters not to go to the polling stations. That can create a pressure among the voters, the CEC added.
Following the briefing, the newsmen asked foreign secretary Masud Bin Momen about the EC’s answer to the diplomats’ query about pressure on voters.
He said the CEC categorically said the EC is not mounting any pressure on voters to cast their voters. Rather pressure is on from those who are intimidating people or distributing leaflets among the people not to cast their votes.
The CEC said the diplomats asked about the number of complaints the EC received so far.
The EC has received around 600 complaints. Of these complaints, the EC informed the relevant returning officers about 400 complaints for taking necessary action.
We informed them that we have built an app for results named smart election management app. We informed them that all information available at every center in every two hours will be uploaded on the appKazi Habibul Awal, CEC
The CEC said the foreign diplomats asked how the results of the election will be published.
“We informed them that we have built an app for results named smart election management app. We informed them that all information available at every center in every two hours will be uploaded on the app. Any citizen can learn about voter turnout using this app from anywhere in the world,” the CEC said.
He said the app has been built to increase transparency of the electoral process.
Answering a question on electoral violence, the CEC said the number of such incidents is few.