Election schedule likely in second week of Dec

The schedule for the next parliamentary elections and referendum is likely to be announced in the second week of December, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin said on Saturday.

"Hopefully, we are expecting it (schedule announcement) to take place in the second week of December," he said.

He said this in response to a question from journalists after inspecting a mock voting exercise at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Government Girls' High School in the capital.

Regarding the mock voting, the CEC said the purpose of Saturday's mock vote was to see in reality what an ideal polling centre environment would be like.

"We are observing the voter lines, the activities of officials, and the situation that can arise in the presence of journalists and observers through real-life demonstrations," he said.

Four election commissioners, the EC secretary, and European Union (EU) Ambassador to Bangladesh Michael Miller were present at that time.

Many, including the first-time voters having no voting experience, are getting a first-hand idea through the mock voting, the CEC said, adding the Election Commission is measuring the management capacity throughout the voting period.

"Since a referendum will also be held along with the election, time management has become even more important," he added.

The CEC also said, "Based on today's real-time assessment, a decision will be made whether around 42,500 polling centers would be sufficient or there is a need to increase the number of booths."

He clarified that increasing the number of booths will mean additional costs including additional manpower, boxes, logistics. However, the commission will give priority to the need, not the cost.

Regarding the referendum, the CEC said that although there will be four questions in the referendum, the vote will be 'YES' or 'NO'.

According to the law, the questions are bundled together. There is no separate option like yes on one or two questions and no on the rest. It is politically determined.

Regarding the law and order situation, the CEC said the overall situation is much better than before. The commission is closely coordinating with various law enforcement agencies and they are ready.

Separate incidents may occur, but the commission is optimistic about keeping the overall polling environment safe, he added.

Earlier, the mock voting exercise began at 8:00 am with participation of 500 voters in the drill.

Talking to the reporters at the venue, EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said the drill was crucial for assessing the challenges of holding two major votes simultaneously.

"Since the national election and the referendum will be held on the same day, we want to gain insights beforehand so the process can run more efficiently," he said.

EC would use findings from the mock to decide whether additional polling booths, staff, or other logistical adjustments would be required.

The exercise included elderly voters, slum dwellers, students, transgender community members, persons with disabilities, and trainees from the Election Training Institute (ETI). Postal ballot procedures are also being tested.

A multi-agency security arrangement, with deployment of police, Ansar, RAB, BGB, and Army personnel, was kept around the centre.

Inside the centre, voters were seen queuing up in separate lines for men and women.

saif.febd@gmail.com