Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal on Tuesday guaranteed that no voting would take place on the previous night of the stipulated date of polling.
“All the talks about voting in the previous night - I can guarantee you not by 99 per cent, rather by 100 per cent, that won’t happen in any way. Ballot papers will be sent (to the polling centres) on the morning of the voting day to ensure this” he stated.
The CEC expressed this at the end of a meeting to exchange views with law enforcement agency members and administration officials of Chattogram and Cumilla regions at the PTI auditorium in Chattogram in the afternoon.
Earlier, he met the candidates of 16 constituencies in Chattogram district at the LGED auditorium in the port city.
Speaking to the newspersons, CEC Habibul Awal said that they would stop voting at any centre immediately after learning about any expression of muscle power during the voting process. He told the candidates that no such thing will be accepted in the 12th parliamentary elections.
The CEC also claimed to have assured the candidates by sane per cent that the votes cast will not go to any other place (electoral symbol).
He further stated that the candidates were pleased with the approaches of the law enforcement agencies, returning officers and assistant presiding officers as they had taken steps immediately after lodging of complaints.
He informed the media that he found this after visiting six areas.
Mentioning that the civil and police administrations and the law enforcement officials were aware of their responsibilities, the CEC said the presiding and polling officials said it has to be ensured that no unapproved person can enter the polling centre.
This won’t be tolerated at all, he insisted.
Claiming that the 7 January parliament elections will be made reliable at any cost, Kazi Habibul Awal also said the newspersons will remain inside the polling centres. They can take photos and videos. They will not have to take permission from the presiding officers to enter the polling centres. The polling monitors also can enter the centres directly. The media can inform the people the truth immediately, he added.