A section of local election observers yesterday told the Election Commission that there was no environment for observing the electionsat present, saidEC sources.
A delegation of the Election Working Group (EWG) yesterday met the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KaziRakibuddin Ahmad to discuss election observation.
Meanwhile, no foreign election observers have applied for observing the elections so far, despite the commission’s invitation.
Following yesterday’s meeting, Executive Director of the Democracy Watch, Taleya Rahman, told the media that it was not possible for them to observe the 10th parliamentary polls, until the political violence across the country came to an end. The CEC also agreed on the matter, she said.
“We submitted a report on violence across the country to the commission.” I Taleya, however, said currently there was no environment for holding elections.
“We told the commission that if the violence continues, we cannot observe the elections.”
Meanwhile,the EWG suggested the EC to allow their observersto remain stationary at vulnerable polling centres, a proposal which was rejected by the commission, Taleya said.
Director of EWG, Abdul Alim said:“The EWG has been observing the situation following the announcement of polls’ schedule andaround 180 observers were monitoring the situation at 146 parliamentary constituencies. The EWG would publish the report next week.”
In the meantime, CECKaziRakibuddin Ahmad said: “We have held a meeting with local observers. They sought to observe the electionson a stationary-basis at polling centres, but there is no way the observerswould stay through the polls at a polling centre. They can only stay at the polling centres and the vote counting room for a while.”
Referring to the security of election observers, KaziRakibuddin said: “We cannot predict right now, how the election environment will be on the electionday. Our six lakh election officials will be on duty during the polls and the administration would give the security to all.”
According to the EC, only 35 local observer organisations out of 120 registered with the EC have applied to the EC so far. About 29 election observer organisations were under the EWG.
In the ninth parliamentary elections, 158, 978 local observers observed the elections alongside 585 foreign observers of 18 foreign observer organisations.
