News Desk :
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal on Wednesdayy said the commission will not be concerned with the legitimacy of the upcoming national election, but will try to hold a lawful election.
“Even if one percent of the electorate cast their votes, legally that is right, but question of legitimacy may arise,” he said.
“But the question of legality will not arise, reports The Daily Star.
“So, there is a conflict between legality and legitimacy.
We will not sweat over the question of legitimacy,” the CEC said during a workshop organised by the EC at its office on the role of polling agents in the elections.
He said the EC were concerned about voters being able to vote freely.
If something is done legally, it gets legal validity, while legitimacy is an important aspect that creates perceptions.
“The EC will try to conduct a lawful election, and political parties will fight for legitimacy, not the EC,” he said.
“Still, we have invited many [parties] several times from our moral standing to come and have tea with us.
We have written demi official letters also,” the CEC said without mentioning BNP or other parties.
He also said the EC wants inclusive elections, but it was not their responsibility to bring anyone to the polls.
“We cannot do more,” Habibul Awal told a workshop organised by the EC at its office on the role of polling agents in the elections.
BNP skipped EC’s dialogue with political parties last year, and the commission invited the party for an informal discussion in March this year, which the party also turned down.
Stating that legality and legitimacy are not the same, the CEC said EC is concerned about legality of votes, not legitimacy.
