Keep an eye on EC: CEC to political parties
He also asked the political parties to advise them on how to deal with black money during polls
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal has urged the country's political parties to keep an eagle eye on the activities of the Election Commission (EC).
"I believe it is necessary. If you [political parties] notice any irregularities from our side, make it public right away. We do not want to be biased in any possible way," the CEC said during talks with the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh delegation at the commission's office in Dhaka on Tuesday.
He also asked the political parties to advise them on how to deal with black money during polls.
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"Tell us how we can deal with money power [during polls]. Our economy has grown. We all have bags stacked with cash in our homes. We spend huge money on elections," he said.
"This has become a very bad culture. We pour money and hire goons as well as professional killers. It does not even cost that much. We all need to form a social movement to break out of this culture," he added.
The CEC also said, "Put some trust in us. But don't become blind while doing that. You have to remain vigilant.
"If you don't keep an eye on things, you aren't doing your job either. If you have any complaints, send them to us immediately."
During talks with Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh, the CEC said, "Politics will disappear if elections cannot be kept alive. Then it cannot be called politics, neither can it be called democracy."
He also said if the election is participatory, people's perception changes.
"However, participatory elections do not mean that there will be no irregularities or vote theft. But participatory elections create a balance," said Habibul Awal.
Bikalpa Dhara said the party wants the voting by Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) for all 300 seats.
However, they advised the EC to educate people about the voting machines in the run-up to the election.
The National People's Party (NPP) also said they are in favour of EVM use in the national election and proposed to attach a "Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail" to EVMs.
The NPP demanded effective measures for the expatriates to cast their votes in the national election.
However, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam said they do not want to use EVMs in national elections.
They also asked for military deployment with judicial powers in elections.
