EC: Collecting nomination forms with procession violates electoral code of conduct

The Election Commissioner (EC) Md Alamgir has said that the culture of buying the nomination forms with a large procession filled with supporters violates the electoral code of conduct.

Pointing that the executive magistrate will be deployed on November 28, the commissioner said: "It does not matter what political activities they do inside the party office - it will not fall under the electoral code of conduct. The returning officers will check if the code of conduct is being violated at any place. They can not do any campaign by showdowns with cars or motorcycles in the area. The magistrates will take action if the leaders and activists of the political parties do not follow the code of conduct.”

He said this at his office in the Agargaon election building in the capital on Wednesday.

Journalists asked the EC Commissioner whether the political parties were following the electoral code of conduct after the announcement of the poll’s schedule. He replied: “'From next 28th, the Nibarhi Magistrate will be in the field, they will take action against them. No one can now ask for votes for a particular person.”

He said: “They buy nomination papers with procession. It does not fall under our code of conduct. What political activities inside the party office - it doesn't fall under the electoral code of conduct? Returning officers will see if the code of conduct is being violated at any place. They will not be able to campaign now by showdowns with cars or motorcycles in the area.

When the journalists wanted to know his opinion regarding the violation of the code of conduct by a candidate in Rajshahi, EC said: "The returning officer has given a report to the commission in this regard. We will take action according to the law.”

In response to journalists' questions about foreign observers, the EC commissioner said: "I have invited election commissioners from different countries. We will only bear their local expenses. But we will not bear any other expenses. If elections are held in other countries, if we are invited, they will bear our expenses as well. Apart from the election commissioners, journalists or people from other organizations will come to observe the election, they will bear their own expense.”

“If you want to transfer and promote government officials-employees, do you have to inform them? In response to this question Alamgir said: "According to the RPO, the officers under the Police Commissioner and the Divisional Commissioner cannot be transferred without the permission of the Election Commission. If the behavior of an officer-employee of a department appears to the Election Commissioner against fair elections, then the Election Commission can transfer that officer from that place. It is in the constitution that if the Election Commission seeks assistance from the Executive Department, then the Executive Department will assist the Election Commission.”

Opposition party leaders and activists complain that government officials and employees work for the government party - what is your opinion on this allegation? In response, he said: “I have been hearing such complaints since 1970, there will always be such complaints. There is no basis for such allegations.”