Dhaka, Dec 25 – Saying that the independence of the Election Commission is confined to the election process, Election Commissioner Mahbub Talukdar on Wednesday underscored the need for reforming the process.“Legally, the Election Commission is independent but in reality, it’s confined to the election process. So, the election process needs to be reformed,” he said.
Mahbub Talukdar was addressing the inauguration ceremony of a two-day training programme for returning and assistant returning officers of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and South City Corporation (DSCC) at the Election Training Institute (IET).
The election commissioner also said public representatives who are elected illegally have no commitment to people or democracy. “If the election is the precondition to democracy, it must be free, fair and transparent for the unhindered journey of democracy.”
Entire voting in the DSCC and DNCC elections will be held using electronic voting machines (EVMs), he said, adding that it will be an acid test for the EC as many are against EVM use. “It’ll be possible to use EVMs in every election if we can overcome the challenge this time,” he said, adding that if any question arises over EVMs, the entire election will be questioned.
Mahbub Talukdar also said there is no alternative to achieving voters’ trust with the highest caution. – UNB
