Review the 2011.
The outgoing year saw the Election Commission (EC) taking polls in Bangladesh further closer to electronic voting machines or EVMs, to replace the traditional voting system with a modern one in future.
The outgoing EC led by A T M Shamsul Huda, however, had its share of dissatisfaction with the government since it did not respond to the top electoral body's army deployment call during the maiden elections to the newly-formed Narayanganj City Corporation. The polls, however, ended peacefully.
The EC also drew flak from various quarters, including the government, for its announcement not to hold the elections to the bifurcated Dhaka City Corporations (DCC South and DCC North), though it had earlier taken initiatives to conduct the polls.
The independence of the EC also came under serious question after the army's failure to send in troops to guard against vote rigging in the Narayanganj city polls and by-polls to the vacant constituencies.
The year 2011 was, indeed, a busy time for the commission as it conducted elections to over 300 municipalities and several thousand union councils of the local government, apart from by-elections to Habiganj and Brahmanbaria municipalities, holding dialogue with registered political parties in two phases, holding polls to the five reserved women's seats in parliament and activities relating to its own overhaul.
After partial use of EVM in Narayanganj City Corporation and Chittagong City Corporation polls that proved to be a success, the EC decided to go for full-fledged use of the machines in the Comilla city polls slated for January 5 next year.
Over a hundred-thousand voters cast their votes using EVM at 58 polling centres in nine of 27 wards during the Narayanganj polls.
Announcing the schedule for polls to the newly-formed Comilla City Corporation, chief election commissioner A T M Shamsul Huda said on Nov 22, electronic voting machines would be used for the first time at all polling centres in Comilla elections, dismissing protests from the BNP.
While BNP on Dec 1 sent a formal letter to the EC, seeking an EVM for examination, the poll panel said there is no law per se to send an EVM for examination. The electoral watchdog asked BNP to send a team of experts to the commission secretariat to test the machines.
The tenure of the current three election commissioners, including the chief election commissioner, who assumed office during the army-backed caretaker government in 2007, will expire in February 2012.
The commission has also made necessary arrangements to hold the next general election using EVM. Most of the political parties including Awami League are in favour of EVM use, while BNP and its allies are against it.
Defending the use of EVM, CEC Shamsul Huda said the initiative has been in line with the modern world and to reduce administrative complications, electoral costs, post-poll violence, quick announcement of results and ease the task of managing elections.
For Narayanganj polls, the EC did not seek army deployment. But following demand from Awami League rebel candidate Selina Hayat Ivy and BNP-backed Taimur Alam Khandaker, it sent sent a letter to the Armed Forces Division (AFD) on Oct 16, asking it to deploy four companies of army personnel for five days starting Oct 28 morning to maintain law and order in the areas going to polls.
The EC did not know that the government would not deploy the army in Narayanganj. Later, the CEC on Oct 30 afternoon said they would have an understanding with the government on the issue.
In the meantime, only hours before the polls, Taimur announced his boycott of polls for non-deployment of the army and to protest use of EVM.
The governemt in a letter on Nov 22 explained the non-deployment of army in the polls and said it was due to a 'misunderstanding'.
Shamsul Huda later said the army deployment could not happen as the letter [seeking deployment] had been issued without any discussion with the ministry and also because the defence minister was abroad.
EC-GOVERNMENT DISPUTE
The Election Commission and government got tangled in a dispute following the EC's failure to ensure army in the Narayanganj polls and holding polls to the divided Dhaka city corporations.
The EC had earlier sent letters to the local government ministry, but failed to get a positive response. When the government asked the EC to hold the divided DCC polls, the EC said it was not possible for them as they were nearing end of their tenure.
Local government minister Syed Ashraful Islam said, "The incumbent EC's tenure is coming to an end. So, they have expressed their inability to stage the elections within the remaining time. But it is Election Commission's duty to stage elections. The EC does not have the right to say 'yes' or 'no' to an election proposal."
PRESIDENT'S DIALOGUE
In another controversial move, president Zillur Rahman on Dec 22 started dialogue with political parties at Bangabhaban for taking their opinion on appointing the next chief and other election commissioners.
Though CEC Shamsul Huda praised the initiative of the president, he expressed his reservations over the fruitfulness of the move.
The outgoing year saw the Election Commission (EC) taking polls in Bangladesh further closer to electronic voting machines or EVMs, to replace the traditional voting system with a modern one in future.
The outgoing EC led by A T M Shamsul Huda, however, had its share of dissatisfaction with the government since it did not respond to the top electoral body's army deployment call during the maiden elections to the newly-formed Narayanganj City Corporation. The polls, however, ended peacefully.
The EC also drew flak from various quarters, including the government, for its announcement not to hold the elections to the bifurcated Dhaka City Corporations (DCC South and DCC North), though it had earlier taken initiatives to conduct the polls.
The independence of the EC also came under serious question after the army's failure to send in troops to guard against vote rigging in the Narayanganj city polls and by-polls to the vacant constituencies.
The year 2011 was, indeed, a busy time for the commission as it conducted elections to over 300 municipalities and several thousand union councils of the local government, apart from by-elections to Habiganj and Brahmanbaria municipalities, holding dialogue with registered political parties in two phases, holding polls to the five reserved women's seats in parliament and activities relating to its own overhaul.
After partial use of EVM in Narayanganj City Corporation and Chittagong City Corporation polls that proved to be a success, the EC decided to go for full-fledged use of the machines in the Comilla city polls slated for January 5 next year.
Over a hundred-thousand voters cast their votes using EVM at 58 polling centres in nine of 27 wards during the Narayanganj polls.
Announcing the schedule for polls to the newly-formed Comilla City Corporation, chief election commissioner A T M Shamsul Huda said on Nov 22, electronic voting machines would be used for the first time at all polling centres in Comilla elections, dismissing protests from the BNP.
While BNP on Dec 1 sent a formal letter to the EC, seeking an EVM for examination, the poll panel said there is no law per se to send an EVM for examination. The electoral watchdog asked BNP to send a team of experts to the commission secretariat to test the machines.
The tenure of the current three election commissioners, including the chief election commissioner, who assumed office during the army-backed caretaker government in 2007, will expire in February 2012.
The commission has also made necessary arrangements to hold the next general election using EVM. Most of the political parties including Awami League are in favour of EVM use, while BNP and its allies are against it.
Defending the use of EVM, CEC Shamsul Huda said the initiative has been in line with the modern world and to reduce administrative complications, electoral costs, post-poll violence, quick announcement of results and ease the task of managing elections.
For Narayanganj polls, the EC did not seek army deployment. But following demand from Awami League rebel candidate Selina Hayat Ivy and BNP-backed Taimur Alam Khandaker, it sent sent a letter to the Armed Forces Division (AFD) on Oct 16, asking it to deploy four companies of army personnel for five days starting Oct 28 morning to maintain law and order in the areas going to polls.
The EC did not know that the government would not deploy the army in Narayanganj. Later, the CEC on Oct 30 afternoon said they would have an understanding with the government on the issue.
In the meantime, only hours before the polls, Taimur announced his boycott of polls for non-deployment of the army and to protest use of EVM.
The governemt in a letter on Nov 22 explained the non-deployment of army in the polls and said it was due to a 'misunderstanding'.
Shamsul Huda later said the army deployment could not happen as the letter [seeking deployment] had been issued without any discussion with the ministry and also because the defence minister was abroad.
EC-GOVERNMENT DISPUTE
The Election Commission and government got tangled in a dispute following the EC's failure to ensure army in the Narayanganj polls and holding polls to the divided Dhaka city corporations.
The EC had earlier sent letters to the local government ministry, but failed to get a positive response. When the government asked the EC to hold the divided DCC polls, the EC said it was not possible for them as they were nearing end of their tenure.
Local government minister Syed Ashraful Islam said, "The incumbent EC's tenure is coming to an end. So, they have expressed their inability to stage the elections within the remaining time. But it is Election Commission's duty to stage elections. The EC does not have the right to say 'yes' or 'no' to an election proposal."
PRESIDENT'S DIALOGUE
In another controversial move, president Zillur Rahman on Dec 22 started dialogue with political parties at Bangabhaban for taking their opinion on appointing the next chief and other election commissioners.
Though CEC Shamsul Huda praised the initiative of the president, he expressed his reservations over the fruitfulness of the move.
0 comments:
Post a Comment