‘No lack of coordination among EC commissioners’

Staff Reporter :
Election Commissioner (EC) Brigadier General (Retd.) Ahsan Habib on Tuesday said that there was no lack of coordination among the commissioners.

“Of course, there is coordination among us,” he replied when answering a question from reporters at the EC.

Responding to another questions at the Election Commission building, EC Habib also brought up the issue of coordination between different election commissioners as some had said the concept note did not reflect their views.

A fully favourable environment for conducting free and fair polls is not always possible, he further said.

In a reaction to a concept paper sent to media editors by the chief election commissioner, EC Habib said, “The concept paper stated that a favourable environment was expected. Is there always a favourable environment for voting? Look at the polls in the past, was the environment always conducive?”.

“But you are pitting one commissioner against another commissioner.

Of course, I think they are right in saying that the expected environment has not yet been created.

This happens every time; not everyone has such courage to mention it,” EC Ahsan Habib said.

Earlier, the Election Commission in a concept paper on 19 October said the political impasse prevailing in the country means that the environment needed for a free, fair, inclusive, and participatory election has not yet been created.

“The major opposing parties remain steadfast in their positions, resorting to street demonstrations to garner support and display their strength.

However, the commission does not believe this is the anticipated solution to the crisis,” reads the paper.

However, some of the election commissioners expressed their opinion against it.

Two election commissioners said the concept paper was purely the Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal’s personal view.

Although the CEC’s statement was sought in this matter, he refused to speak to the media.