EC not paying printing bill

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The Election Commission (EC) Secretariat has stopped payment for the printing of the controversial updated voter list prepared for the suspended parliamentary elections scheduled for January 22.

A group of printers involved in the task claimed that the EC Secretariat is yet to pay their bills of about Tk 15 crore. They went to the EC Secretariat yesterday for their due payment.

Officials at the EC Secretariat, however, said it owes around Tk 9 crore to the printing houses and that it is verifying whether the printers completed their tasks on time in accordance with the agreement.

Sources said the EC secretary is likely to sit with the printers next week to settle the matter.

The previous EC led by Justice Mahfuzur Rahman as the acting chief election commissioner (CEC) did not give any decision about the payment for the printing of the updated voter list.

The payment for the printing became uncertain following the suspension of the ninth parliamentary elections scheduled for January 22. The reconstituted EC is also yet to decide on the issue, sources said.

Aminul Haque, proprietor of a printing house, told reporters yesterday that the EC did not pay them although all the 38 companies completed their tasks on time.

Bangladesh Vendors Forum General Secretary Sharif Ahmed said the EC secretary gave assurance that he will sit with them next Sunday to settle the issue.

The EC formed a one-member enquiry committee last month to investigate allegations of irregularities in awarding printers the task of voter list printing. The committee is yet to submit its report, sources said.

Meanwhile, the National Democratic Institute (NDI) assured the EC yesterday of extending assistance in preparing a credible voter list.

“We will voluntarily extend assistance to the Election Commission in preparing the voter list if it seeks,” Owen Lippert, NDI resident director, told reporters after a meeting with the newly appointed CEC and two other election commissioners.

The NDI delegation also shared with the EC officials its experiences of surveying the authenticity of the electoral rolls.

In early December last year, the NDI announced the findings of its second survey of the voter list, according to which there were 13 million extra names on the updated voter list.

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