Elections under party govt challenging: Ex-CEC Nurul Huda

Former chief election commissioner KM Nurul Huda said there are challenges in holding polls under a party government.

He also said the officials of the election commission instead of the deputy commissioners can be assigned for a fair election.

Nurul Huda, who was the chief election commissioner for five years till 14 February 2022, also believes a fair election is not possible without the political negotiation.

He also said BNP is a big political party. The next parliamentary election will not be acceptable if it is organised without BNP, Nurul Huda added.

KM Nurul Huda made these remarks at an event organised by Debate for Democracy at FDC in the capital on Saturday.

BNP has been alleging that ballot boxes were stuffed on the night before the 11th parliament election in December 2018 when Nurul Huda was the chief election commissioner. BNP also alleged that Nurul Huda was carried out the directives of the ruling Awami League.

Nurul Huda said there was no pressure of any ‘invisible force’ on him while was in charge of CEC. It was a discomfort as hundred per cent vote was cast in some polling stations.

He said it is not possible for holding a fair election without the cooperation of the political parties, administration and stakeholders.

The former chief election commissioner said elections cannot be held by using guns and sticks. “Guns and sticks are not used anywhere in the world except Bangladesh. It is not fair to create a war like situation. It is not expected that property will be damaged or people killed over elections.”

KM Nurul Huda said votes cannot be rigged by using EVM and it can be modernised further. EVM should be used in elections for 20 years in Bangladesh.

He thinks people’s trust will increase further if CCTV is installed in booths of the polling stations.

Debate for Democracy presided over the event of shadow parliament. In the debate, the World University of Bangladesh defeated the debaters of Comilla University.