EU election observer chief hopes voter enthusiasm lasts all day
Ivars Ijabs, head of the European Union (EU) Election Observation Mission, said, “Until noon, we have observed significant enthusiasm among voters. We hope this energy continues through the afternoon.”
He made these remarks on Thursday after visiting the Curzon Hall at Dhaka University to monitor polling during the 13th national parliamentary election.
The EU mission chief, along with colleagues, had earlier visited the Siddheswari Girls’ College polling station on Bailey Road, Dhaka, shortly after voting began at 7:30 am.
“We expect a participatory and credible election,” Ijabs said. He added that they are receiving online reports and information from observers deployed across the country.
The EU Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) has deployed more than 200 observers nationwide for this historic and crucial election. “We are closely monitoring the process and hope for a participatory and credible election in Bangladesh,” he said.
Ivars Ijabs emphasised, “We are working completely independently. We are not participating in any political processes; we are only observing the election. On 14 February, we will release our preliminary report on how this election was conducted.”
Polling for the 13th national parliament and referendum began today at 7:30 am. According to the Election Commission, nearly 13 per cent of votes were cast by 12 noon. This figure covers 32,789 polling stations, while the country has a total of 42,779 stations.