614 union councils go to election Saturday in big test for EC

After violence claimed 40 lives in the first two phases of the polls, the third phase is being touted as an acid test for the Election Commission.

Polling will commence at 8am and continue until 4pm on Saturday.

A public holiday has been declared in the polls-bound areas to facilitate the process.

EC Deputy Secretary Shamsul Alam told bdnews24.com ballot papers, ballot boxes and other election-related accessories were despatched to the centres on Friday under the strict vigil of security forces.

Despite a violence-riddled second phase, Election Commissioner Md Shah Nawaz sought to reassure the people of a "smooth" thild-phase election.

"Elections will improve by the day. Security forces will be better empowered to thwart violence in the third phase. You can go out without fear, or hesitation and cast your vote. It will be a healthy election," he said.

Emboldened by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s message to thwart irregularities with force, the EC had asked her ruling Awami League to reign its cadres.

It said directives had been issued to take strict action against anyone found indulging in irregularities.

Third Phase UP Polls

614 union councils of 87 Upazilas in 48 districts up for grabs

The number of voter is over 10.9 million

Voting will be held at 6,072 centres from 8am to 4pm

2,672 candidates are fighting to become chairman, 20,943 general member and 6,298 reserved member

25 Awami League candidates have been elected chairman uncontested, 174 general member and 79 reserved member

Over 100,000 election officials and around 150,000 law enforcers have been deployed

The Awami League has opened huge lead over its chief rival BNP in the past phases.

The BNP leaders, however, allege large-scale rigging and other irregularities in the polls.

They allege the EC is aiding the efforts of the Awami League to use the electoral and security machinery to its advantages.

The BNP had initially threatened to boycott polls after the first two phases but later decided to stay in the fray.

The BNP leaders say they have decided to continue contesting the ballot to expose the anomalies of the government.

Awami League leaders, for their part, accuse the BNP of ‘creating chaos in a planned way’ to make the vote ‘questionable’.

Presidium Member Obaidul Quader has said the BNP is ‘playing a broken record of complaint’ after ‘losing in a game of chess for power’.    

The Election Commission’s promise of fair polls, however, seems to have failed to assure the observers after the violence during the first and second phases.

They have suggested that the EC act decisively to save its reputation.

National Election Observation Council (Janipop) Chairman Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah told bdnews24.com, “The UP polls are only halfway through, but already around 50 people have died. Now it’s time for EC to take effective steps.”

He said the EC officials should themselves visit the centres marked ‘risky’. “Otherwise confusion among people will not go away.” 

“It’s not new to visit the centres on helicopter. I will tell the EC officials to rush if they get any news of violence or irregularity. You will be praised, not condemned, if you do so,” Kalimullah said.

He also said the current EC has been facing criticism since the beginning.

He said the EC should try to keep the remaining phases of the UP polls fair for a ‘comfortable’ exit in February 2017.

“All's well that ends well,” he added.

Sharmin Mursheed, Executive Director of Brotee, a panel of observers is however less optimistic than Kalimullah.

"The current EC has lost the people's trust", she said, referring to the violence and allegations of irregularities that had marred the first two phases of the ongoing UP polls.

"Meanwhile 41 people lost their lives. Candidates of one party are winning without any contest. The post of chairman, general and reserved member posts are being won without contest. The EC is clueless as to why this is happening. They are neither taking up the complaints nor conducting any probes", she said.

A total of 54 Awami League candidates won the Mar 22 first phase and another 34 won the Mar 31 second phase of the polls uncontested.

Twenty-five more have joined the bandwagon of uncontested winners in the third phase of the elections.

Following the fiasco of the first two phases, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad had with a tinge of dissatisfaction observed that a few incidents had tarnished the gains.