Transparency main motto of EC for conducting JS polls: CEC

Transparency and accountability are the main mottoes of the Election Commission (EC) for conducting the upcoming 11th parliamentary polls in the country. Already, the EC had successfully conducted two major city corporation elections and a number of local elections, which proved the efficiency of the EC in conducting the polls in a transparent way.
"The victory of BNP-backed candidate in Comilla City Corporation polls and the JP-backed candidate in Rangpur City Corporation polls indicated that conducting fair and credible national polls under the EC is possible," CEC KM Nurul Huda told the Daily Observer on Thursday.
After assuming office in February, KM Nurul Huda-led EC announced a roadmap on July 16 for the next parliamentary election. The EC declared the national election roadmap, which incorporated seven agendas. The agenda are electoral law reform, making electoral process time befitting, delimitation of constituencies, updating the voter list, preparing the list of possible polling stations, inviting application from new political parties to be registered with the EC, and the capacity building of officials for holding the national election.
According to the roadmap, the EC started dialogues with civil society members on July 31 and gradually the EC meet with media, political parties, polls observers, representatives of women's rights bodies and election experts on the issues. The re-demarca tion work of the constituencies is supposed to end by December this year and the registration of political parties process is going on, said the CEC.
Talking on the new registered political parties, the CEC said, the EC will approve the new political parties as a registered parties after meeting all criteria as per the constitution to be a registered party in the country. The EC will collect all the details of the applicants who want to seek registration and no cancelled party or disputed person will be allowed in this regard. The EC will maintain the conditions of the Article 90 (B) of the Representation of the People Order 1972 to provide registration of political parties ahead of the national polls. The EC will also ask intelligence agencies to provide information about the new parties before making the final decision to register the parties, the CEC also added.
Earlier, the EC cancelled the registration of Freedom Party in 2008 and the High Court cancelled the registration of Jamaat-e-Islami in 2013.
After taking charges of the present commission, the EC conducted two major polls -RCC and Comilla City Corporation polls, which depicted the EC's success and determination for holding fair polls in the country. Huda said the present EC is able to hold the next national polls free from any influence of the government and other political parties as well as local and international agencies."We are optimistic that we can hold the next elections in a free and fair manner under the present commission," the CEC added. Talking on the success of the journey of the last eight months of the EC, the CEC said the city corporation polls of Comilla, Rangpur and a number of local elections has already proved the efficiency of the EC to hold fair elections in the country.
The EC had taken enough security measures in holding every election in a fair manner and the people of the country witnessed the example of conducting fair polls under the present commission.  He urged the political parties not to create panic among the people to condemn the present EC that EC is not eligible to hold fair polls.
"After taking charges of the EC, the commission did not support any particular candidate or any specific party to win the election, rather it instructed the law enforcement agencies to thwart any attempt to destabilise the situation, which will go against conducting fair polls," said the CEC.   
President Abdul Hamid appointed the former Secretary KM Nurul Huda as the new CEC on February 6 this year. The commissioners of the newly constituted EC are former secretary Md Rafiqul Islam, former additional secretary Mahbub Talukder, retired district and sessions judge Begum Kabita Khanam and Brig Gen (retd) Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury.
Elections are the only instrument of democratic and peaceful transfer of power with the consent and choice of the majority. Therefore, the rights to vote and participate in elections are part of the basic human rights, Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) Muhammad Sakhawat Hussain told this correspondent.  
The EC will ensure the personal security of the voters so that no obstacle can hamper conducting an acceptable and transparent national or city corporation polls or any local polls, said Acting Secretary of the EC Helaluddin. "I can tell you one thing that the upcoming national polls will be fair and inclusive which is the motto of the present EC", said the secretary.
Sushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Sujan) General Secretary Badiul Alam Majumder said the elections must be held with integrity for strengthening democracy, furthering development, and for social and individual security.
During poll time, all ministries and the law enforcement agencies will act under the instruction of the EC, so, it is possible to ensure fair national polls under the present commission.
"Already the EC has conducted the Comilla and Rangpur City Corporation election in a fair manner, and for that I congratulate them but as a citizen of the country I want fair and acceptable upcoming elections under the present EC", he said.
 The EC should ensure the personal security of the voters so that no obstacle can hamper conducting an acceptable and transparent national or city corporation polls, he also said.
The Election Commission has a constitutional obligation to complete the next parliamentary elections within January 28 of 2019 as the 10th parliament went into its first session on January 2014. But, it is planning to hold the polls at the end of December in 2018.