500 foreign observers, journalists expected to assess elections: EC Secretary

Around 500 foreign election observers, and journalists are expected to assess the election proceedings and file relevant reports on 12 February, said Election Commission (EC) Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed at a press briefing on Thursday.

He also said that the vote counting process in this election could take more time than usual due to the counting of two different kinds ballots – in-person and postal – and the presence of relatively higher number of candidates.

The EC has adopted two approaches on inviting foreigners to evaluate the elections: selective invitations and open invitation. In total, 78 observers and 50 journalists have confirmed they would come to Bangladesh.

However, given the current rate, the number is expected to keep surging ahead of the elections, and reach 500 by 12 February, Akhtar Ahmed noted.

Those invited by the Election Commission will be accommodated at a Dhaka hotel, he said.

About 56 members of the delegation from the European Union (EU) have already reached the country. Around 250 more are expected to join the EU delegation in the coming days, the secretary added.

Furthermore, 10 foreigners would come from the Commonwealth Secretariat and nine from Turkey.

The EC has invited 83 organisations to observe the polls, and so far, 36 have confirmed their participation.

The EC would also take measures against “voter buying” by curbing the flow of “black money” and other funds during elections.

To this end, mobile financial transactions will be limited, but not completely suspended during the elections. Similar measures will be taken regarding internet banking services.

Even if vote rigging practices are effectively controlled, vote counting could still take additional time this year, he said.

In some constituencies, there are 5-6 time more postal ballots than in-person ballots. The postal voting system has been introduced in its fullest possible potential in this election, leading to the exponential surge in prospective voters, the EC secretary noted.

Furthermore, until Wednesday night, 1,981 candidates got registered, which is relatively a higher tally compared with previous elections.