BNP seeks deferral of CCC polls

BNP's mayoral candidate Shahadat Hossain demanded that the Election  Commission change the date of Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) elections as many people may leave the city getting a three-day weekend  before the polls day.

He said the election should be held on March 31 instead of March 29.

He  also demanded that army should be deployed for safeguarding electronic  voting machines (EVM) in every booth and preventing vote rigging. Also,  presiding officers' power of casting vote should be reduced to 1 percent  from existing 5; no one should be allowed on the premises of polling  centres without NIDs and a summary of the polls has to be provided to  the candidates by 5:30pm on the polls day.

Shahadat called on Mohammad Hasanuzzaman, returning officer (RO) of CCC polls, at his office yesterday and made the demands.

Contacted,  Shahadat said he argued for changing the polls date as he thinks voter  turnout will be very poor if the date is not changed.

"March 26 is  a national holiday and the following two days are Friday and Saturday,"  he told The Daily Star, adding, "Many people may go outside the city to  their village homes on this three-day weekend. If the Election  Commission wants to increase voter turnout, it should change the date."

About  his other demands, Shahadat said, "Army will be deployed in polling  centres to provide technical support to EVM. If they can provide  technical support, they should also be entrusted with ensuring security  of the voting machines so that no fake vote can be cast."

"In the  present system, presiding officers can cast 5 percent of total votes in a  centre with their fingerprints to assist voters. But there is a chance  of manipulating the polls with that authority," he alleged.

"If  presiding officers can cast 5 percent of 20 lakh votes, than they are  empowered to cast one lakh votes. If one lakh votes can be manipulated,  the result can altered easily. So I demanded to lessen it to 1 percent,"  said Shahadat.

"In the previous polls, a huge number of outsiders  came to the city and got involved in occupying polling centres. So, no  one should be allowed within 400 yards of a polling centre without  inspection," he said.

About wanting to have a summary of polls, he  said, "We have a right to know about the total number of votes cast as  soon as the polls end," he said.

Contacted, RO Hasanuzzaman said  Shahadat submitted a letter to the CEC through him.  "Those were mainly  suggestions for taking some steps regarding the polls. I have sent it to  the Chief Election Commissioner," he said.

He did not want to comment on the demands.