Cannot assure anomaly-free election: CEC

Chief election commissioner KM Nurul Huda on Tuesday said that he cannot guarantee that there will be no irregularities in the general election.

The CEC said this while talking to the media after inaugurating a workshop at the Election Training Institute.    

Following the irregularities in five city corporation elections, many expressed their apprehensions regarding a fair national election.

The CEC said, “We don’t think such irregularities will occur in the national election. But we cannot ensure that there will be no irregularity anywhere in a national level election.”

“We will investigate and take necessary action if we receive complaints of anomalies,” he added.

Gono Forum president Kamal Hossain recently said that the nation does not trust the election commission anymore. In reply to the question of reporters on the matter, Nurul Huda said, “I don’t know how Kamal Hossain  read the thoughts of whole nation. Did all the people come and tell him to say that? I don’t know.”

“There were arbitrary irregularities in some places in the city corporation elections. Such anomalies happen. We took necessary action in such cases. Voting in many polling centres has been suspended in Barisal till date,” he added.

Citing the current student movement for safe roads has nothing to do with the national election, the CEC said. “Voting in the national election will take place according to the constitution.”

Source: Prothom Alo