Parties’ role greater than law enforcers in ensuring fair election: CEC
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin has said that the role of political parties is greater than that of law enforcement agencies in ensuring a successful election.
He made the remarks on Wednesday (19 November) during a dialogue with political parties at the Election Building in Agargaon, Dhaka.
Nasir Uddin said, “The role of political parties is greater in elections than that of law enforcement agencies. If the parties work sincerely, the Election Commission does not need to take additional pressure.”
The CEC stressed that complying with the electoral code of conduct is extremely important. The Commission expects all political parties to uphold their commitment to following the electoral code of conduct.
He noted that establishing the rule of law is essential for a fair and peaceful election, and the key requirement for that is adherence to the code of conduct.
He sought the cooperation of political parties in increasing voter turnout at polling centres. He expressed hope that all parties would encourage voters to come to the centres through their respective activists.
The CEC said that although discussions with political parties had been ongoing since his oath-taking, the full-fledged dialogue was delayed due to the work of the Election System Reform Commission (ERSC). Discussions with political parties began right after he took oath on 24 November last year. However, since many national leaders were engaged in the reform commission’s discussions, the Election Commission did not want to run a parallel dialogue. The dialogue has now begun after the commission completed its activities.
The CEC said that not only the Election Commission but all political parties are committed to the nation to ensure a fair and acceptable election. “Everyone has pledged to the nation to deliver a fair and acceptable election,” he added.
He said that after reviewing many recommendations from the reform commission and written opinions from various political parties and organisations, the code of conduct was finalised. Preparing the code of conduct is not the main challenge — adhering to it is what matters most.