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Download PDF The field level task of updating the voter list ends today without checking the authenticity of about two crore applications for inclusion and deletion of names and with many names of people eligible to be voters still left out of the list.
The Election Commission (EC) however initiated a move to complete the entire task of updating the list by October and it is unlikely to extend the time limit again for the field level task.
The EC secretariat last Tuesday sent a proposal to the cabinet purchase committee seeking exemption from the Public Procurement Regulation (PPR) 2003 for avoiding a long procedure of printing the voter list.
“Time is very short. We want to finish printing the updated voter list by October. So we requested the cabinet purchase committee to relax the required procedure in the PPR for hiring vendors for printing,” EC Secretary Abdur Rashid Sarkar told reporters yesterday.
In absence of a procedure for scrutinising the applications, many district election officers who had tried to check the authenticity, expressed doubt about the accuracy of the information collected by the temporarily recruited staff of the EC.
“I have personally checked some applications for inclusion of names and found duplications. Names of some applicants already exist on the present voter list,” a district election officer told The Daily Star on condition of anonymity.
“We don’t know how we will inspect the authenticity of the updated list enlisting names of new voters,” he said adding, “We will just keep it open for public inspection after the field level staff update it.”
Abdur Rashid Sarkar, yesterday however said the registration officers and assistant registration officers will check the authenticity of the applications received.
“People may also check the updated voter list when it will be kept in files for inspection for at least three days,” the secretary told reporters in a news briefing at the EC Secretariat.
But many district election officers, who are working as registration officers, for updating the voter list, said it is not possible for them to inspect the authenticity of each application or of the names compiled by the field level staff.
“We will get a very short time even to display the updated list for public inspection,” another district election officer said adding, “They could have got 15 days to display the voter list had the EC published a draft of it.”
The EC Secretary however said they will take punitive actions against any duplication of names on the voter list, if proven.
About the present progress of the task, the secretary claimed that the task is almost completed.
“Some people may remain out of the list. They can register their names as voters by communicating with the election offices,” he said ruling out again the possibility of another extension of the time limit.
Till August 16, a total of 1.58 crore people applied for inclusion of names while 21.90 lakh applied for deletion of names on the existing voter list, prepared in 2000, which currently has 7.64 crore listed voters.
The EC secretary however said the commission will sit today to discuss the overall progress of the task.
The task of compiling the information received in applications will start from tomorrow. “We asked field level officials to complete the task of compiling the information in prescribed forms by August 26,” the secretary said adding, “We will begin the process of printing the voter list in September.”
About registering Leader of the Opposition Sheikh Hasina as a voter, the secretary said field level officials had provided the opposition leader with an application form. “The officials informed me that the leader of the opposition will sign the application form today,” he said.
LOCAL BNP LEADERS OBSTRUCT UPDATING
Our Netrakona correspondent reported that the district election office sources said only 75 percent of the updating have been completed in ten upazilas and five pourasavas in Netrakona so far.
Local residents said the EC staff did not go from door to door in the area to update the voter list.
When contacted, two assistant registration officers of two unions told our correspondent on condition of anonymity that influential BNP leaders of the area had pressured them not to enroll some names on the list. “We could not enroll many eligible young men and women due to pressure from BNP leaders” one of the officers said.
Humayun Kabir, assistant registration officer (ARO) of Kalmakanda, Sajal Chandra Sarkar, ARO of Durgapur, and Anwar Mahmud, ARO of Khaliajuri, told the correspondent that they could not update the voter list properly due to political pressure from ruling party leaders.
Mohammad Salamat Ullah Mia, district election officer of Netrakona, said “I heard about the complaint but nobody filed any written complaint with me in this regard. But it is true that political leaders created obstacles to the updating process of the voter list,” he added.
BALLOT BOXES
In addition to existing ballot boxes, the EC secretary said they will sign a contract with the machine tools factory soon for manufacturing 20,000 more ballot boxes at a total cost of over Tk 1.90 crore or Tk 954 for each box.
The EC already rejected the demand for introduction of transparent ballot boxes in the next parliamentary election.
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