Observers see fake votes, intimidation in some centres
Staff CorrespondentThe election monitoring organisations have found some incidents of irregularities in the Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) polls held yesterday amid tight security although the Election Commission claimed the polls were fair.
The monitoring groups in their preliminary reports after the polls said fake votes were cast and minority voters were intimidated in some areas but the law-enforcers did not take adequate steps to prevent fake voting.
They, however, said the polls were held peacefully amid a few sporadic incidents of violence. The monitoring groups will release their detailed reports today in separate press conferences in Dhaka.
After inspecting 130 polling centres, Jatiya Nirbachon Porjobekkhon Parishad (Janipop) and US- based polls monitoring organisation International Republic Institute (IRI) said they watched voting in 130 polling stations and witnessed a 'disturbing amount of false voting and vote selling'.
"Until we collaborate our teams' accounts with those of other independent monitors, it is difficult to judge the overall effect of these irregularities on the election results," said a Janipop press release.
It said 13 teams of the IRI and Janipop inspected the polling centres in 41 wards.
Though there was a substantial presence of the law-enforcers, partisan hooligans took position outside the centres and prevented voters from exercising their franchise. Several people, however, have been arrested for casting fake votes, said the press release.
Adhikar, a human-rights organisation that observed 43 polling centres, in a report said its observers found that fake votes were being cast at some polling centres. Quoting local voters, it said a few outsiders were seen at a few polling centres and voters alleged slow pace of ballot casting.
"The law-enforcers were lax in preventing fake votes," it said in a press release, adding that law and order situation was satisfactory.
Manobadhikar, another human-rights organisation, in its report said polling agents of Nagorik Committee-backed candidate ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury were driven out of some polling stations. Voters and polling officials were locked in quarrels over beginning of voting behind schedule at some polling stations.
Source: http://www.thedailystar.net/2005/05/10/d5051001087.htm