The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

The Election Commission (EC) is contemplating for bringing changes in the exiting election laws and its management to make future polls more neutral, transparent and acceptable to all.

The EC sources told BSS yesterday that under the new arrangement electronic voting machine may be used in casting votes and spy camera may be used to monitor candidates to detect violations of election laws and rules. Election officers may also be punished for crimes relating to violation of fair code of electioneering conduct, EC legal officials said adding the authorities are thinking of largely copying the Indian election law and management in this regard.

EC commissioner M Sohul Hossain confirmed the move saying the new initiative has been taken to strengthen existing election laws to make the polls more transparent and credible.

Moreover, the move has been taken from the realization that the experiences and lessons, which it has learnt from the last national elections need to be used to make exiting laws more practical.

Sohul Hossain said, the EC will open dialogue with political parties to bring about necessary reforms in legal system. It will invite the parties for exchanging of views on the subject as soon as the chief election commissioner return back from abroad.

Election commissioners M Sohul Hossain and Brig Gen Sakawat Hossain closely observed the recently held Indian parliamentary elections. They suggested the new reform measures to the country's election law in the light of the experiences they gathered from the Indian national polls. They then presented the reform proposals to the EC and the CEC agreed with them.

Sohul Hossain said, under the new laws EC's spy camera would follow candidates in the field.

It is important to collect evidence of violation of election laws, rules and code to hold a candidate accountable which is not possible in many cases now for want of real evidences, he pointed out.

The election commissioners in their evaluation of the Indian polls and the recommendations that they made to CEC said, the Indian election commission was able to take punitive steps against Barun Ghandi from the video footages.

A total of 74,729 video operators and 40,599 digital camera were deployed in the Indian election to check against violation of election laws in the electioneering process.

Commissioner Sakawat Hossain said, spy cameras were used for the first time in the country in the Sunamgonj by-election to keep track on candidates activities in the ground.

Such monitoring system will also be used in the ensuing Dhaka City Corporation election to monitor the movements of contesting candidates, he said.