Even a neutral EC can’t conduct fair election if gov doesn’t help: Badiul Alam

The perpetrators of crimes committed in the last three general elections should be punished, Chief of the Electoral Reform Commission Badiul Alam Majumdar said on Friday.

“Those who committed electoral crimes in the last three elections should be punished. The election commission (EC) committed the biggest crimes,” he said.

Majumdar made this comment while addressing a shadow-parliament (debate) on the “role of the EC, candidates and citizens for a fair election” arranged by the Debate for Democracy at the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (FDC) in the capital city.

He said the government is the most important partner in the elections after the EC.

If the government doesn’t help, it won’t be possible even for a neutral Election Commission to conduct a fair election, he added.

About the newly constituted election commission headed by AMM Nasir Uddin, the reform commission chief said a tree is known by its fruits. “But, there is no big challenge for this EC. Because, unlike last time, there is no pressure from the ruling political party,” he remarked.

Majumdar stated that many media did not provide true information about the last three national elections.

“The role of the media in elections is important. But in the last three elections, some media deliberately did not tell the truth, while some others were even forced not to tell the truth,” he recalled.

The reform commission chief expressed that ensuring the participation of women voters and expatriate voters could be a challenge for the election commission.

Citing that the election system reform is important, Majumdar said but time must be given for reform (in the electoral system).