The Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal. Photo : Collected
The Election Commission will suspend casting votes at any polling centre immediately if it receives a single allegation of electoral fraud. The Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal said this on Saturday (23 December).
While addressing at a view exchange meeting with election candidates at the Returning Officer's office in Barishal, he also advised candidates for the 12th parliamentary election to rigorously adhere to the electoral code of conduct.
35 individuals are running for six parliamentary seats in the Barisal district.
"Trust the system. Voters should be allowed to vote freely. If anyone of you create any kind of disturbance at a centre … if there is a single case of vote rigging, I will suspend voting in that centre immediately" he told the candidates.
He also sought cooperation from the candidates to make the election a fair contest.
"Follow electoral code strictly. Help us. And please come out of the notion that power-play is a must to win elections. … We don't believe it, and you certainly shouldn't," the CEC told the candidates warning them against any kind of irregularities.
"We want to ensure a free, fair and neutral election and won't spare anyone if they try to obstruct it," the CEC added.
Messenger/Sun Yath
