B’desh: Awami League for EVM in next polls

by Fazlur Rahman Raju in Dhaka Tribune, Oct 18, 2017
The Awami League has proposed the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in the 11th parliamentary election, which is likely to be held between late 2018 and early 2019.
The ruling party made the demand as part of its 11-point proposal laid before the Election Commission during a pre-polls dialogue on Wednesday.
General secretary Obaidul Quader led the Awami League’s 21-member delegation for the meeting at the commission’s office in Dhaka.
After the dialogue, Obaidul, who is also the road transport and bridges minister, told reporters that the dialogue had been “fruitful”.
The Awami League urged the commission to consider all aspects related to the proposal of delimitation of the constituencies, as it thinks delimitation with conducting a new population census could create legal complexities.
The last delimitation had taken place before the last national polls according to the census conducted in 2011.
Even if the commission attempts the demarcations of 300 constituencies, the party said, it would not have enough time to complete that before the next election.
In the proposal, the Awami League urged the commission to be cautious while appointing local and foreign observers.
The proposal said any person or organisation, which is known as partisan to any person or specific party, should not be appointed as an election observer.
They also demanded strict implementation of electoral laws during the 11th national polls to prevent “thuggery” and the use of illegal money in elections.
It demanded the appointment of only government staff as presiding officers, assistant presiding officers and polling officers, based on their qualifications.
Strict action should be taken against any person or organisations found guilty of an unprofessional attitude or negligence in duty, the proposal reads.
It also demanded the amendment of the “Representation of the People Order (RPO), 1972” to form a final panel of electoral candidates chosen by the root level activists of the party.
Regarding the media, the Awami League asked the commission to issue specific instructions so that they can discharge their duties respecting the electoral laws. The media should be provided with identity cards that include information about their duty area.
The party also praised the initiative taken by the commission to create Bangla versions of the RPO and the “Delimitation of Constituencies Ordinance 1976”.
In its proposal, the ruling party called for the deployment of security forces in each electoral area after the election schedule is announced, and said they should stay there during and after the polls until a certain time fixed by the commission.
The party also proposed the commission to follow the Code of Criminal Procedure’s sections 129, 130 and 131 in case the need to deploy the army arises.
The Election Commission on August 24 started holding dialogues with the 40 registered political parties, which will conclude on Thursday. The commission has already held talks with 37 parties, including the main opposition BNP. www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/politics/2017/10/18/awami-league-evm-next-polls/