EC not responsible for poor voter turnout: CEC
Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda has said that it is not the Election Commission’s (EC’s) duty to increase voter turnout, rather its duty is to organize and ensure a fair vote.
He made this comment while taking part in a procession organized by EC on the occasion of National Voters’ Day for the second
time this year at Manik Mia Avenue in the capital on Monday.
Huda added that, there may be several reasons for the voters’ reluctance to go to voting centers, but that has much more to do with political parties than any failure on EC’s part.
He claimed that the Election Commission had been successful in creating a peaceful environment in the recently held City Corporation elections.
The EC has banned the use of laminated posters in the upcoming Dhaka-10 by-polls campaigns in an effort to reduce election time pollution, further added.
The CEC said: “We will reform the electoral codes of conduct at the national level too by enacting this new rule.”
“Posters can be raised for display in 21 places assigned by the EC, and in offices set up in each ward. The candidates cannot hang posters in other places like streets, lanes, or electric pylons,” he said.
Each party is allowed to bring out five processions in their preferred locations, said Huda, adding that candidates are not allowed to arrange public meetings in the by-polls.
The total number of voters in the country has increased to 10.98 crore from 10.41 crore in the current year, the CEC informed.
“The number of voters across the country stands at 10.98 crore and of them, new voters are 69.71 lakh,” he said.
Of the total number, 5,54,82,530 are male voters while 5,43,36,222 female and 360 are from third gender community, Huda said.
Election Commissioner Rafiqul Islam, Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury, Kavita Khanam, and senior secretary of the Election Commission Md. Alamgir were present at the rally.
The procession started from Manik Mia Avenue and ended at the Bangabandhu International Convention Centre (BICC) in Dhaka.
