News update
  • Govt Plans 34 Lakh Tonnes Food Grain Storage Capacity     |     
  • Charges Filed Against Hasina, Aziz Over Shapla Crackdown     |     
  • Oil Prices Fall as US-Iran Attacks Pause     |     
  • Gas Crisis Deepens as LNG Outage Hits Supply     |     
  • Microplastics Found in 26 of 34 Toothpaste Brands in Bangladesh      |     

EC ought to ensure free, fair elections

Editorials 2022-09-14, 7:58pm

Jehangir Hussain



Jehangir Hussain

The Election Commission’s proposal to protect coverage of polls by journalists is laudable.

But it cannot happen in isolation.

The main task of the EC is to hold free and fair elections.

This is pertinent when there is growing concern that the voters are not able to cast their votes raising concerns about the very quality of the elections.

The EC needs to be tough on polling irregularities.

People are not so sure that the new powers sought would not be used arbitrarily by the EC.

The question of the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) also needs to be properly addressed by the EC in view of the objections raised by many political parties.

jehangirh@gmail.com