Managing nat'l polls to be easier if held in phases: CEC

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal has said managing the national elections will be easier if voting is conducted in phases over multiple days, similar to local government elections.

"If voting is held in phases, then it will be easier to deploy more forces at polling stations. Monitoring will also be easy," he stated after a meeting with a delegation from Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) at Agargaon Nirbachon Bhaban today.

The CEC also said, "If the electoral system can be systematically improved, reducing reliance on individuals, such as through the use of digital devices and other systematic enhancements, it will benefit the electoral process."

Habibul Awal acknowledged the mistrust surrounding Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). "However, in the elections held using EVMs, no one has claimed that votes were misallocated. But EVMs can be simplified."

He criticised political parties for their lack of interest in dialogue, stating, "I still do not see any dialogue happening between the political parties. The antagonism is too apparent. It's going to be very difficult to make any progress amid such acute hostility." 

TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman said that the electoral system needs reform, and a recommendation has been  made to the commission. "We presented the ratio system and ratio-based representation, and they agreed with us."

About the effectiveness of the parliament, he said, "A large number of elected representatives are businessmen. Therefore, the question remains as to what extent Parliament will be representative, and focused on public welfare."