Awami league leaders sit in a pre-poll dialogue with the Election Commission in the commission office in Dhaka on Wednesday. — Ali Hossain Mintu
The ruling Awami League at its pre-polls talks with the Election Commission on Wednesday demanded electronic voting from the next general election due on January 28, 2019 at the latest.
Electronic voting also known as e-voting takes place with the electorate using Electronic Voting Machine, in short, EVM, to cast their votes.
AL also asked the EC not to amend the Delimitation of Constituencies Ordinance before the next census to avoid legal hassles, AL general secretary Obaidul Quader told reporters after leaving the talks.
At the talks, he said, the AL delegation submitted an 11-point proposal to the EC.
He said AL opposed deployment of defence forces during the polls.
The main opposition BNP at its talks with the EC demanded deployment of defence forces with magistracy power during the polls.
BNP and most other parties at their talks requested the EC not to use EVMs in the next general election.
AL requested the EC to collect names, photographs and photo copies of National Identity Cards of polling agents at least three days before polling, Quader said.
AL called for providing the needed guidelines to the journalists in covering the election, specifying the working area for them.
He said that AL also suggested not to allow local and international election observer groups loyal to any political party or group.
AL advised the EC to appoint government employees only as presiding officers, assistant presiding officers and polling officers, he said.
He said that AL demanded action against any employee or institution of the Republic indulging in irregularities relating to the election.
AL also asked for stopping the use of illegal money and muscle power through strict enforcement of electoral laws.
AL was, however, silent about poll-time government, restoration of ‘no vote’ option and whether or not Parliament would be there during the election.
But most of the other political parties demanded dissolution of Parliament before the election and election under either non-party or all-party government.
BNP at its talks with the EC on Sunday, in a proposal requested the EC to create a level playing fields for all the political parties in the general election.
Keeping the goal of level playing fields in view, BNP requested the EC to take the initiative for forming an election-supportive government, dissolution of Parliament before the general election, withdrawal of all cases against BNP Chairperson, other leaders and activists immediate release of all the political leaders and activists in jail custody, ending enforced disappearances, political killings, political harassments and intimidations.
BNP demanded equal and non-discriminatory opportunities for all the political parties in the run up to the polls and restoration of normal democratic political rights for all the parties.
until Wednesday EC held pre-polls dialogue with 38 registered political parties.
Two remaining registered parties Anwar Hossain Manju faction of Jatiya Party and Liberal Democratic Party are due to join the EC’s talks today.
AL advisory council members Amir Hossain Amu, Tofail Ahmed and Mohammad Rashidul Alam, presidium members Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Mohammad Nasim, Matia Chowdhury, Muhammad Faruk Khan and Mohammad Abdur Razzaque, adviser to the prime minister HT Imam, Moshiur Rahman, Mohammad Zamir and the party’s central leaders Mahmubul Alam Hanif, Dipu Moni, Ramesh Chandra Sen, Reazul Kabir Kawser Alam, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Abdur Rahman, HN Ashikur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud and Abdus Sobhan Golap also took part in the delegation.
Source: New Age
