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Poll Observers

EC to form groups to check malpractice

Shakhawat Liton
The Election Commission (EC) plans to form an all-party working group in each district comprising representatives of registered political parties in an effort to check 'misdemeanour or malpractice' of observers in the coming parliamentary elections.
In view of bitter experience in dealing with large number of polls observers in the past, the EC has drafted a code of conduct and strict guidelines for appointment and deployment of election observers, and plans formation of the working group, sources in the EC said.
"The group shall be entrusted
with two specifics tasks- - screening the background of persons nominated by the (observer) organisations for deployment in particular polling stations in a district and watch the conduct of the observers during the period of their assignment, and report any misdemeanour or malpractice," saysthedraft.
The district election officer will be convenor of the group, arid he will convene its meetings and keep minutes.
"Meetings shall be presided over by the representatives of the parties who shall take their turn in the order in which their parties' names appear in Bangla alphabets," says the draft proposal.
Once the draft guidelines are finalised, local leaders of Awami League, BNP Jatiya Parry and any other parties getting registered with the EC will be made members of the district-working group to monitor the activities of election observers.
Besides, the EC may enter into .agreement with one or more polls_ observer organisations for coordi-natingtheworkofobservers.
The organisations intending to deploy polls observers will have to apply to the EC through the observer-coordinating organisation for accreditation. The coordinating body will scrutinise all accordance with the constitution. We're (EC) also within the constitution," Sohul said as asked whether the delimitation could be done under an un-e!ected government.
About the apprehension of a large number of litigations against the EC's act of delimitating the electoral constit-ucncies, the election comtois--' sioner cited article’ 12o of 'the constitution under which no one can file writ with the court against the EC's move in this regard.
He said the EC will look into the matter if there be any objection. “We've given time to file objection. We'll look into whether the principle, based on which the draft delimitation has been done, has been violated anyway or not. But, delimitation must be done according to the constitution and law.”
Sohul said the EC's target of holding city and municipal elections may be delayed up to July since the new law under which the elections will be held is not yet finalised.
“We'll send the final draft of the Representation of the People Order 2008 to the law ministry within this week to make it final," he said.