Election Working Group (EWG), an election watchdog comprising 29 civil society organisations, has termed Saturday’s polls for four city corporations as overall peaceful, barring some stray incidents and a few defaults in the electoral process. Leaders of EWG made the observation at a post-election press conference at the National Press Club, on Sunday.The EWG leaders also dismissed the allegations of obstructing people from minority communities, on their way to the polling centres, and on the media’s role in Rajshahi, saying that there was no relation between Saturday’s election and the allegations brought by the defeated candidate.
In the written statement of the EWG, Prof Dr Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah, chairman of Jatiya Nirbachon Parjobekkahn Parishad (Janipop) said the EWG observers revealed that a scuffle had broke out at a centre in Barisal, between the supporters of the two rival candidates, leading the polling to remain suspended for one-and-half hours.
He, however, said that they have no record of snatching of ballot papers, since such incidents had not come to the notice of their 117 observers, who covered 373 polling centres, out of 653, in all the four city polls.
The 18-Party backed candidates won all the four mayoral posts in Rajshahi, Khulna, Barisal and Sylhet, with a huge margin of votes, in Saturday’s polls.
Replying to a question, Dr Kalimullah said they found huge political influences during the city polls, that were essentially apolitical local government elections.
He, however, said that there is no scope to differentiate between election and politics, and that’s why they found political influence in the local government polls.
The Janipop chief said the election commission (EC) has been able to hold the polls successfully, and in a peaceful manner.
Asked whether the next general election could be held under the present government, EWG leader advocate Rokhsana Khandaker said the political parties should come to an agreement as how the election could be held in a free, fair and acceptable manner, and be participated by all parties.
The preliminary statement of the EWG found that irremovable ink was not used in four polling centres in Rajshahi and sub-standard ink were used in different centres, while many polling centres faced power scarcity. Observers were not allowed in some centres in Barisal and Khulna, during the counting of votes.
It also noted that there was no separate measure for old-age and physically disabled people to cast their votes, and there was a possibility of delay in announcing election results, in the Sylhet control room.
The EWG observed that the election commission should allow stationary deployment of observers, to watch the election process more closely, and make it more credible.
EWG leaders Harun-or-Rashid, Abdul Alim and Humayun Kabir, among others, were present at the press conference
-With The Independent input
