100 pc voter turnout in 69 centres not ‘normal’: CEC

Dhaka, June 30 – The 100 percent voters’ turnout in 213 polling centers in the 11th parliamentary polls has raised questions among political parties, experts and even the Election Commission.
Even Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda on Sunday termed the casting of 100 percent votes in election centres ‘abnormal’.
Election Commission (EC) on Saturday published the full results of the 11th parliamentary polls on its website after six months of holding polls on December 30 last year, witnessing 100 per cent votes in some 213 centres.
“It’s not a normal case of casting 100 per cent votes. But EC has nothing to do here,” CEC said in reply to a query at Lalbag Govt Model School and College in the capital where he was inaugurating a training programme on voter list update.
“Generally the results of the elections are published through a gazette soon after the election. After it EC has nothing to do. There is no scope to look into the matter after gazette. As returning officers, presiding officers did not bring it to our notice, EC has nothing to do now,” he added.
He further said, “If the matter moves to the court and it orders for reelection, it is the jurisdiction of the court.”
The CEC however, said they would hold elections through electronic voting machines to prevent any sort of irregularities.
However, the Commission sources said the tenth parliamentary polls, however, took lesser time to publish the full results on its website.
As per the total election results, the general elections held on 30 December had witnessed 100 percent votes in 213 centres.
Even experts said the casting of 100 per cent votes in a centre is unusual and the election related officials should have informed it immediately to the EC for taking steps.
As per the EC, the total turnout of the 11th parliamentary polls was 89.36 per cent while the 10th parliamentary polls held on January 5, 2014 witnessed 40.04 per cent total turnout and the ninth parliamentary polls on December 29, 2008 witnessed 87.13 per cent total turnout.
Media reports that the 11th parliamentary polls were marred with irregularities of stuffing ballot papers, capturing centres and boycotting polls.
The 11th general elections were inclusive one as major political parties including Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) took part in the polls. But BNP brought allegation of widespread vote rigging and boycotted the election results.
BNP alleged that the elections were held one-sidedly and it does not reflect the mandate of the voters as voters could cast votes and even voters and their party men were prevented to enter into the polling centres. Even they alleged that BNP agents were shoved off election cenres.
The elections results show that at least 213 out of 40,199 elections witnessed 100 per cent votes. Less than 50 per cent votes were cast in only four constituencies, the report said.
In the 11th general polls, ruling Awami League bagged 258 seats while its grand-alliance partner Jatiya Party secured 22. On the other hand, Jatiya Oikya Front candidates secured 8 seats while candidates of other parties secured 9 and three constituencies went to independent candidates.
The total voters of the 300 constituencies were 10,41,56,269. Of the total votes, 8,35,32,911 voters were cast. The valid votes were 8,26,45,221 while the invalid votes were 8,87,690. – Staff Reporter