No major irregularities, 15-30% turnout likely in parliamentary bypolls: CEC

Electronic voting machines have been used in the by-election to the six seats left by the BNP

No major irregularities have been reported in the by-election to the six parliamentary seats vacated by the BNP, but the turnout may be 15 to 30 percent, Kazi Habibul Awal has said.

The chief election commissioner spoke to the media in Dhaka after the daylong balloting through electronic voting machines on Wednesday.

“We haven’t received any reports of widespread irregularities or vote robbery. We say this was a largely peaceful and fair vote.”

The Election Commission has not used CCTV cameras in the over 700 centres. Low turnout marked the voting as an incident of bombing was reported outside a polling station in Chapainawabganj.

The CEC said the turnout was “relatively” low, but people must wait to know the exact numbers. “A lack of competition might have caused the low turnout.”

He expects the results to come out shortly as the voting was held through EVMs.

Although CCTV cameras were not used, the commission monitored the bypolls centrally and from its local offices, Awal said.

“Running battles were reported in one or two places. A crude bomb was found in a centre and bombing took place outside a polling station.”

The CEC denied reports of the presence of outsiders in some centres. “A woman took her children inside. In another place, a woman entered the booth to help an ailing voter. We don’t consider these as major irregularities.”