The main opposition BNP on Thursday blasted the Election Commission (EC) once again, claiming its initiative to allow the prime minister and her cabinet colleagues’ for taking part in the electoral campaign will only add fuel to the prevailing political crisis.
“This sort of change in the electoral code of conduct will create yet another national crisis and the EC has to face dire consequences,” Nazrul Islam Khan, a standing committee member of the party, told the media on Thursday at a press briefing at the party’s Naya Paltan headquarters in the capital.
Opposing the EC’s initiative to amend the electoral code of conduct, Nazrul demanded immediate cancelation of the draft of the code as it will create another confrontation in the country.
“According to recent media reports, the EC is going to add a provision allowing the premier and 20 persons nominated by her to take part in the parliament elections campaign with state facilities. EC’s such proposal in not only discriminatory, but is also a bar to the concept of holding free and fair polls. This decision is disastrous and immature.”
Nazrul, also a former ambassador, said this amendment will push the election to an uncertainty and make the whole electoral process questionable.
“If one party gets special benefits for election campaigning, it will destroy any level playing field and the result of the election will not accepted as well,” he said.
Branding the EC as loyal and biased, the BNP leader said, through this initiative the EC has proved itself as a worthless commission.
“Election commissioners should step down from the office, if it fails to prove its neutrality through rejecting the amendment proposal,” he said.
Replying to a question, Nazrul said: “Awami League has no possibility of wining the polls if a free and fair election is held. Knowing this, it (AL) is hatching conspiracies to win the polls and as part of their conspiracy, it has asked the EC to amend the Representation of People’s Order (RPO).”
He also said: “We were not surprised hearing the news as the election commission is biased and subservient to the government.”
