TIB asks if the rules aim at saving ‘robbers' in polling booths

The guidelines of the election commission (EC) on the dos and don’ts for the newspersons reporting on election day, will create a hindrances to fair polls, thinks Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB).

TIB said the sections added to the guidelines are nothing but a dubious attempt to make the newspersons subservient.

In a written statement, TIB executive director Iftekharuzzaman on Thursday said the election commission at different times has termed media as “eyes and ears” of fair polls. (But) it has been proved from the recently issued guidelines that the institution made such tall remarks only to make it popular and acceptable (to people). Basically, it has “shackled” the activities of the journalists.

The EC published the guidelines on Wednesday. It said the newspersons and other media persons cannot use motorcycles on the day of voting. Journalist cannot telecast live from the polling booths or from the time of vote counting. Facebook live also will be banned.

The guidelines will be applicable in the parliamentary, city corporation, zilla parishad, upazila parishad, pourashava, and union parishad elections, and in any by-election.

Criticising the guidelines, TIB said motorcycle is an essential vehicle for the local level journalists. Besides, there are many polling centres in remote areas where no large vehicle can go. Many cannot even hire vehicles at the local level. In this context, banning newspersons from riding motorcycles on the voting day is ill-motivated.

“What could be the rationale of the directive that said that no journalist can stay at a polling booth for more than 10 minutes? It is important to be clear whether this rule was devised to protect ‘the robbers in the secret booths’ that the election commission identified?” asked Iftekharuzzaman.

Demanding a cancelation of the guidelines, the TIB executive director said it is not understandable why journalists will have to take permission from the presiding officers to enter polling booths, as they already have permission from the election commission to cover the voting.

Besides, in this current context, will the presiding officer give permission to the journalists if any kind of irregularity takes place in the polling booth? It does not seem during drawing up the guidelines the commission took into consideration, if the permission is not given, what kind of hindrances will be erected then in taking photographs and collecting information of irregularities at polling booths.

TIB also raised question on why the live telecast from polling booths has been banned. What kind of global practice does the the election commission want to practice is a curious matter, it asked.

Transparency International Bangladesh also thinks the more the list of don’ts regarding election news coverage get longer, the more the country’s electoral system and democracy becomes weaker.