‘EC will not mediate any polls-related issue among political parties’

The Election Commission will neither “bow down to or mediate” any election-related issue among the political parties, the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) has said. KM Nurul Huda made his comments yesterday in a consultation with senior journalists and electronic media representatives ahead of the next polls, which are due to be held in late December 2018 or January 2019. “It is not the Election Commission’s duty to mediate among the political parties. We do not need to go to anyone as the commission is an independent body,” the CEC said at the Election Commission building in Agargaon, Dhaka. As part of its roadmap for the upcoming parliamentary election, the EC will also sit in talks with 40 registered political parties, election observers, female leaders and election experts in separate dialogues which are scheduled to start on August 24. A total of 26 electronic and online media representatives and journalist leaders entered into the talks on Thursday with the chief election commissioner. Four election commissioners – Mahbub Talukdar, Rafiqul Islam, Kabita Khanam and Brig Gen (retd) Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury – and acting secretary of the commission Helaluddin Ahmed were also present at the dialogue. Like their colleagues in the print media, the electronic media representatives asked to reinstate the option of No vote in the upcoming parliamentary election. Having the option of No vote will inspire more voters to go to the polling centres, they reasoned. However, unlike many of their colleagues in the print media, they advised against army deployment during the election. “Army deployment should be avoided if there are chances of the force being used for political interest,” Ekattor TV Managing Director and Chief Editor Mozammel Haque Babu said. Mozammel further advised the Election Commission to allow TV cameras in all the polling centres to ensure a “free and fair” election. BSS Managing Director and Chief Editor Abul Kalam Azad reiterated Mozammel's comments on the army and asked the Election Commission to conduct the election according to the constitution. Bangla Vision Head of News Mostafa Firoz said: “If the political parties could reach a place of compromise, there would be no need for army deployment.” The CEC said the Election Commission would decide whether the army would be deployed or not during the election depending on the situation. Responding to a query regarding the election-time government, he said the Election Commission had no role regarding the nature of the government that would remain during the election. “As the commission is a technical office, it is obliged to conduct the election in the system which is determined by the government,” he said. On Wednesday, the Election Commission sat in the dialogue with newspaper editors, journalist leaders, senior journalists and columnists. On July 31, the Election Commission held a dialogue with civil society members. The other participants on Thursday were Channel i Director Shykh Seraj, Independent TV Executive Editor Khaled Muhiuddin, Masranga TV Chief News Editor Rezwanul Haque Raza, NTV Head of News Khairul Anwar Mukul, ATN Bangla Head of News ZE Mamun, RTV CEO Syed Ashiq Rahman, Jamuna TV Chief News Editor Fahim Ahmed, Voice of America's Bangladesh Correspondent Amir Khasru, Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU) President Sakhawat Hossain Badsha and BTV Director General SM Haroon-or-Rashid.