Staff Correspondent
Former chief election commissioner Abu Hena on Saturday said elections observers should also monitor post-polls violence.
Inaugurating a workshop on ‘Election related capacity building training programme to promote democratic values and media engagement,’ he said the observers should monitor the situation before, during and after polling.
He also termed post-elections violence very unfortunate and urged the government to stop the ongoing post-polls violence taking place across the country after Monday’s polling.
Human rights organisation Odhikar, which also observes elections, organised the two-day workshop in the Caritas auditorium in the Dhaka.
Abu Hena also said the election observers should maintain neutrality in observing the polls and preparing their reports.
‘The observers must be neutral and they must know and be respectful to electoral laws, rules, electoral code of conduct and democratic norms and practices,’ he said.
Praising the amendment to electoral laws and rules, he said the latest laws and rules on elections were pragmatic.
He said as the election atmosphere in the December 29 polls was congenial and favourable, people, especially young and first-time voters, cast their vote freely for a change.
‘This verdict is nothing but against militancy and corruption. The next elected government will need to move forward carefully and it should work in unison with opposition forgetting past enmity to resolve the present crisis,’ he said.
Asked about the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s allegation that the elections stage-managed, he declined to many any comment on the issue.
Terming the polls results a verdict against war criminals, Abu Hena said, ‘The people have also boycotted the alleged war criminals in the elections. Especially first-time voters fully rejected them.’
He hoped the Awami League-led government would be able to contain goods price spiral.
Presided over by the Odhikar secretary, Adilur Rahman Khan, the inaugural session was also addressed by the Dhaka American Centre director Amy H Vrampas.
Courtesy: newagebd.com
