The Election Commission (EC) has directed the returning officers (ROs) to take a number of steps for upholding the commission's neutrality, report agencies.
The steps include protection of impartiality in election from any quarter's influence and interference as well as motivating the voters to exercise their franchise in the upcoming national election.
The directive was made in the notification no-9 issued on Sunday over the 12th parliamentary election slated for January 7.
"In line with laws, rules and code of conduct, it'll have to be ensured so that any sort of influence or inference of any vested quarter can't damage the neutrality of the election," said the notification.
The EC also asked for steps so that the election officers concerned with a sensitive and important function like elections shall not do any act which humiliates them before the competent authority or the local people. Besides, they should apply the laws and rules properly to prevent creation of a perception that they are partial.
The EC said the district administration and upazila administration should encourage everyone to vote by arranging joint meetings of local people in their respective areas. In this regard, the field administration was asked to maintain contact with the local political leaders.
Meanwhile,European Union (EU) will observe the situation before and after the 12th Jatiya Sangsad (JS) elections slated for January 7, reports BSS.
Additional Secretary of the Election Commission (EC) Secretariat Ashok Kumar Debnath said came up with the remarks while talking to journalists after a meeting between a four-member delegation of the EU and the officials of the EC at the Nirbachan Bhaban in the city on Sunday.
"The delegation will stay in Bangladesh until January 23 and travel across the country to observe different issues, including violence," the EC official said, adding that the EU team will monitor everything before and after the elections.
The EU delegation wanted statistics over how many political parties joined the polls, how many aspirants submitted nomination papers to vie in the polls and the total number of candidates, Debnath said, adding that it will keep an eye on the breaching of the electoral code of conduct too.
© 2024 - All Rights with The Financial Express
