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Selina Hayat Ivy, AKM Shahim Osman and Taimur Alam Khandoker, running in Narayanganj City Corporation polls for mayoral position, on Sunday attend an exchange of views with the chief election commissioner, ATM Shamsul Huda. — New Age photo Taimur asks for limited EVM use, Ivy wants it in wards with small number of voters
Taib Ahmed and AKM Masum . Narayanganj
Taimur Alam Khandoker, the BNP-backed mayoral candidate in the Narayanganj City Corporation polls, on Sunday insisted on the Election Commission’s liming the use of EVMs while the chief election commissioner asked the candidates and the people to have faith in the commission.
‘Please, have faith in the commission! Voting will not be rigged by way of EVMs,’ the chief election commissioner, ATM Shamsul Huda, told the candidates at an exchange of views at the Shaheed Zia Hall in the city.
But Taimur stood his ground regarding the limiting of EVM use and asked the Election Commission to use EVMs in one or two wards, instead of the planned nine.
Selina Hayat Ivy, a leader of the ruling Awami League who has all along been asking the commission to limit the use of EVM, meanwhile, budged on the issue but asked the commission to use EVMs in wards having small number of voters.
Shamim Osman, the other heavyweight from the Awami League in the electoral race for the mayoral position, requested the commission to win the confidence of his rival candidates regarding EVM use fearing that it might become an issue after the city polls and before the next general elections.
Taimur said, ‘Even if the EVM is a good and transparent device, most of the people who would be using to cast votes are illiterate and semi-literate.’
‘You can talk with the common people about the issue. As far as I have talked with voters, they have said that they do not want this device to be used in polling,’ he added.
‘Although you have assured us that voting will not be rigged with the use of EVMs, I urge you again to give a second thought to the matter and to limit the use of EVMs to one or two wards this time if it is not possible to not to use the device,’ Taimur said.
Taimur asked the CEC to take more effective measures to contain the use of undisclosed money in the elections.
He thanked the commission for its decision on army deployment to keep law and order during the elections.
He also asked the media to play a neutral role so that the local administration could play a neutral role in the elections.
Ivy said, ‘I wanted to say something about the use of EVMs but I want to repose my faith in you after you gave an assurance that voting will not be rigged with the use of the device.’
‘The use of EVMs in the next general elections depends on what you will do. So I want you not to allow anything that might put the government in any controversy regarding EVM use,’ she said.
‘The number of voters in areas areas where EVMs would be used is higher. So I urge you to use the EVM in the wards having small number of voters,’ Ivy said.
As for EVMs, Shamim said, ‘There might be a game centring on the use of EVMs in the elections. If they [BNP] lose, they would blame it on the EVM and would make an issue out of it before the next general elections.’ He added, ‘I will request you [CEC] to use EVMs after winning their confidence.’
In reploy to Taimur’s plea, Shamsul said, ‘Polling agents will need to play the key role in stopping manipulation by way of EVMs.’
As for use of undisclosed money in the elections, the CEC said, ‘We will not said that we would be able to contain completely the use of undisclosed money in the elections. But we will try our best.’
‘Even after that if you see any candidate giving you the money, I would suggest that you take the money and cast your vote for anyone your consciences tells you to,’ Shamsul said.
Ivy alleged that chiefs of some police stations in the city were threatening her people and obstructing her campaign. She urged the chief election commissioner to ensure that the administration plays an absolute neutral role.
Ivy requested Shamsul to make an arrangement so that any of the election commissioners would stay in Narayanganj all day long on the polling day.
Ivy said that residents had been panicked at an announcement local lawmaker Nasim Osman made that Shamim would be declared winner at 7:00pm on the polling day.
She alleged the the Bandar police chief were raiding the houses of her people every night. ‘There is a convention in Bangladesh that the local administration works in favour of the ruling party lawmaker.’ She demanded an active role of the army in ensuring free and fair polling.
She asked the chief election commissioner to keep eye on Siddhirganj and Bandar where ‘votes were snatched away in the past.’
Shamsul said that voting would be stopped right away in any polling centres where chaos would break out on the poling day. ‘I can assure you that the government has no influence on us.’
Shamim protested at Ivy’s statements and said, ‘This is not true that votes are snatched in Siddhirganj and Bandar. And my brother Nasim Osman made no wrong by saying that the election result would start to go in favour of me after 7:00pm on the polling day.’
Shamim once again asked the commission to do something against ‘a section of the media which were conducting propaganda against Shamim.’
He said, ‘Two television channels have already been contracted to telecast live a drama centring on me to tarnish my image.’
He was also very critical of the editor of a national daily newspaper for what the editor said in a television talk show.
Shamim also criticised the commission for halting the development work being carried out by the local administration.
Both Shamim and Ivy, in the presence of the chief election commissioner, accused each other of spearheading smear campaigns and asked the commission to take action in this regard.
A group of central BNP leaders carried out a campaign in favour of Taimur Alam Khandoker in the city as the two other heavyweights, Shamim and Ivy, held campaigns.
Source: newagebd.com/newspaper1
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