Halting Gaibandha by-polls not a whimsical decision: CEC

Staff Reporter :
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal has said that cancellation of Gaibandha-5 by-polls was not a “whimsical” decision.
The Election Commission had taken the decision thoughtfully, the CEC said at a press conference held at the Election Commission Secretariat in the capital’s Agargaon yesterday afternoon (October 13, 2022).
The election was halted after closely monitoring the situation, he said.
CEC has said that the Election Commission (EC) can suspend election from any place in the country.
Citing Section 91 of the Representation of the People Order (RPO), the CEC said, if the EC finds that an
election isn’t taking place fairly, it can suspend the election in some or the entire constituency.
“So, it doesn’t matter whether we suspend the election sitting in Dhaka, Cumilla, Chattogram, or sitting on a ship. If it is deems to the EC that the election was not being held properly, it can suspend the voting of any centre, or the voting of all the centres,” he said.
Responding to the remarks of Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader on Wednesday that how far it was logical to suspend the election watching CCTVs staying in Dhaka, the CEC said, “AL general secretary could watch the voting in Gaibandha-5 sitting with us what was happening there. I have heard the remarks of many people to say, as to how it was possible to watch the voting at so many places sitting inside office? Traffic on roads is controlled in different countries watching CCTVs. The system has been designed in such a way that one can know the facts of 200 or 400 places sitting at a single place. We think it is an appropriate technology.”
However, the CEC said, “Confusion might have happened from how I see the entire thing and how you see it.”
The CEC said the commission would decide its next course of action about the by-election after receiving an investigation report as they have formed a three-member committee to probe all allegations of irregularities.
“The committee will submit their report within seven days. The commission will take its final decision after receiving the report,” he said.
The CEC said it would not be logical to evaluate upcoming elections in light of the incidents that happened in Gaibandha as the commission had successfully conducted previous elections in Cumilla City Corporation and Jhenaidah Municipality with Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
He also said local administration cooperated in conducting the election in Gaibandha, but the situation went beyond control and it was not possible to restore order during voting.
“We instructed again and again to restore the order during the voting. The discipline was absent in the entire constituency,” he said.
The commission on Wednesday suspended the by-election at Gainbandha-5 parliamentary seat amid widespread allegations of vote rigging and voter intimidation. The CEC said they had to take the decision because of malpractices on the election day.
After the decision, ruling Awami League candidate Mahmud Hasan Ripon criticised the commission and demanded results.
Gaibandha-5 Constituency consists of 10 unions of Saghata upazila and seven unions of Phulchhari upazila.
After former MP and Deputy Speaker of the 11th National Parliament Fazle Rabbi Mia died on July 23 the Gaibandha-5 seat fell vacant.
The Election Commission yesterday (October 13, 2022) stopped the Gaibandha-5 by-polls, saying the situation went “out of control” due to widespread electoral irregularities.