The next parliamentary election will be held on January 5, 2014, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad on Monday announced, which was rejected by the main opposition BNP and its allies.
The BNP-led opposition called a 48-hour blockade of roads, rail and waterways across the country from 5am on Tuesday in protest. Alliance activists also vandalised vehicles, hurled crude bombs and attacked several election offices and police camps and stations across the country on Monday.
Jubilant activists of the ruling Awami League brought out processions in the capital and other districts, supporting the schedule.
In a televised address to the nation at 7:35pm, the CEC said his commission had “no time to delay” for a political consensus between the Awami League and the BNP on the polls-time administration.
He said army would be deployed to hold a free, fair and unbiased election and ensure the safety of the voters and election officials. The CEC also vowed not to make the voters hostages to “hooliganism and muscle power.”
Rakibuddin warned that any election official failing to remain impartial during the polls would face legal actions according to the laws.
The sales of nomination papers will start from on Tuesday at the offices of all returning officers and assistant returning officers across the country, according to EC’s Senior Assistant Secretary Farhad Hossain.
The last day for filing nomination papers is December 2 and the last date for withdrawal of candidature is December 13. The returning officers will scrutinise the nomination papers on December 5-6.
In his speech, the CEC said the commission had already completed all preparations to hold the next polls in line with the constitution.
“According to the constitution, we can no more wait as we obliged to hold the polls by January 24, 2014,” said the CEC. “We do not have time to delay.”
Rakibuddin urged all political parties to contest the polls burying all of their differences through discussions and reach a consensus to take democracy forward.
“On Tuesday, I can assure the voters that we will do everything needed to enable you to reach the polling stations without fear and return home safe,” said Rakibuddin.
“Holding elections in 300 constituencies on a single day is really difficult in a populous country like ours. So, we have decided to deploy the popular and trusted armed forces in the polls besides the VDP, Ansar, police, Rab, BGB and Coast Guard.”
“The Election Commission has amended the electoral code of conduct to ensure a level-playing field for all, putting some restrictions on the prime minister of the interim government, the opposition leader, ministers and other privileged persons,” said Rakibuddin.
The restrictions would remain in force until the publication of the gazette of the election results, he said.
Citing to some restrictions, the CEC said the premier, the opposition leader, the ministers and other privileged persons would not be eligible to campaign with state facilities, but they would get security.
He said the MPs of the ninth parliament or their representatives would not be allowed to attend meetings of the management boards of educational institutes before the polls and the MPs would not be permitted to donate any grants from their funds.
The MPs would not be allowed to use government vehicles, public servants and teachers of the educational institutes they head.
“No laxity will be tolerated in implementing the electoral code of conduct, no matter who holds which position. Legal actions will follow for violation of the electoral code of conduct,” the CEC said.
Urging the candidates to abide by the electoral code, he said the EC would not tolerate traditional showdowns by candidates while filing nomination papers. “Such behaviour can make one’s candidature uncertain,” said the CEC, adding that each district would have a strong monitoring team to strictly implement the code.
The CEC said the public servants must play an impartial role during polls. “Insha Allah, we will ensure foolproof security for you.”
He said the commission would monitor the role of the officials and take action in case of negligence.
Kazi Rakibuddin said under his leadership the commission had arranged 654 elections, including seven by-elections and six city corporations in “transparent, fair, unhindered and unbiased” ways.
He said the triumph of the opposition candidates in many of these polls testified that the elections had been “fair and unbiased.” The candidates vying in the city corporation polls had responded positively to the commission’s call to concede defeats.
“I hope all parties would uphold the culture of conceding defeats in the parliamentary polls in the future, showing respect to the people’s verdict,” he said.
Rakibuddin instructed the presiding officers to write the number of votes both in figures and words to remove any confusion.
The presiding officers would get the result sheets countersigned by the agents of the candidates and send those to the returning officers by mail and to the Election Commission by post. The post offices would be kept open until the result reached.
He said the EC had already updated the voters roll, matching old data with the new inputs through an automatic finger print identification system.
The CEC said there was no question the authenticity of the voters’ list could be doubted.
Any complaints about the draft voters’ roll could be amended further, if necessary, he added.
Rakibuddin said his commission had published the draft of the delimitation of the 300 constituencies on February 2, holding meetings with all stakeholders. On July 3, the final gazette on the delimitations was published.
He said the electoral code of conduct was prepared in 2008 in line with the constitutional provision of the non-party caretaker government that was replaced by the interim government.