EC does not exercise its authority to curb vote rigging: Sujan

Sushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Sujan), a non-government organisation, Friday alleged that the Election Commission does not exercise its authority to curb vote rigging and anomalies to ensure a fair election.
Sujan, working on good governance, also alleged that the commission lost its control on overall election procedure.
“The Constitution and laws provide adequate power to the Election Commission for holding a fair election and curbing vote rigging and anomalies. But the commission doesn’t apply its power,” Sujan Secretary Dr Badiul Alam Majumder told a press conference in the city.
 Even patrol by the army, Rab and BGB members in polling stations also fails to help curb election violence, Badiul Alam added.
 He said the commission allegedly played a silent role in many cases in the fourth phase upazila elections held on March 23 like it did in the previous three phases.
 Alam also called upon the government, political parties and the Election Commission to apply maximum power to make the election system free from controversy and violence.
 Sujan organised the press conference at Mukti Bhaban in the city’s Purana Paltan area to present statistics it found analysing affidavits of chairman contenders of the fifth phase upazila elections slated for March 31, according to a news agency.