Candidate pictures on ballots: Election Commissioner

Ballot papers in polls carry the candidate’s name and symbol, but an election commissioner thinks it is not enough.

Election Commissioner Abdul Mobarak says the ballots should include the candidate's picture as well.

“Ballots should include candidates’ pictures. Voting will then be focus on the candidate, not on the symbol. There are several symbols which are tough for voters to recognise,” he said.

Political parties registered with the Election Commission (EC), however, can use their symbols, Mobarak added.

Ballots used in parliament and city polls contain candidates’ names and symbols. In other elections, ballots only have the symbols.

Several councillor aspirants of the Apr 28 city polls of Dhaka and Chittagong have raised objections over the symbols they were allotted by the EC.

On Apr 20, the High Court had issued a rule asking why the restriction on use of the political party’s identity and symbol in elections to local government bodies would not be declared as against basic constitutional rights.

“The registered political parties get their own symbols during national elections. My opinion is party endorsed candidates should get their party’s symbols and independent candidates can have pictures on the ballots,” EC Mobarak told bdnews24.com.

According to him, it would be ‘better’ to keep candidates’ pictures on ballots for the polls to local government bodies, as they are non-partisan.

“This will leave no room for complaint from candidates over symbols, voters will also be able to know them. Then candidates will have to be popular to win, and just can’t pull it off with symbols,” said the senior election commissioner.

EC officials, however, said that implementing such measures largely depends on the political parties.

 “Local government polls are still non-partisan. And it can’t be otherwise just because of the EC. It’s the political parties which will have to decide on it,” said Mobarak.

Last year, Local Government Minister and ruling Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam said he was in favour of partisan local polls.

He had hinted at favouring an amendment to the existing law.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, too, expressed similar opinion earlier this year while speaking in Parliament.