Information and Broadcasting Minister and Awami League Joint General Secretary Dr. Hasan Mahmud today said Low voter turnout is normal in by-polls which are held just five months ahead of the national election.
Low voter turnout is normal in by-polls: Hasan
“Voter turnout is always low in by-elections in any country. It is also the same in our country. In the USA, no candidate contests in the poll many times, when by-polls are held five to six months before the general elections. Many candidates are elected unopposed,” he said, replying to a query from reporters in the meeting room of the ministry at the secretariat.
He said the recent city corporations polls were held very competitively and the average voter turnout was 50 percent in many places despite BNP’s call for boycotting those elections. The elections will be more competitive if all political parties including BNP take part in the polls, he noted.
Replying to a query over the allegation of independent candidate Ashraful Alam (Hero Alam) of Dhaka-17 constituency, Dr Hasan said anyone can raise an allegation. But at first, it must be verified and the Election Commission should investigate the allegation, he added.
He said some persons become candidates to raise such allegations and to get publicity. It is a question of what is their motive, whether they want to contest or they want publicity.
Replying to another question about a meeting between the European Union delegation and Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (SHUJAN) where they alleged that fair elections are not possible in the present situation, the information minister said the size of civil society is big. The persons who are telling these are a very small part of the civil society and they don’t represent the whole society, he added.
So, their (SHUJAN) statement is not the speech of the country’s civil society, Dr Hasan continued.
He said, “Discussions were held with the EU delegation with us. But there were no discussions over caretaker or polls-time government issues. The polls will be held under the Election Commission (EC) as per the constitution.”
He said the EC is much stronger and it has been proved in recent elections that the commission didn’t care about the government. The EC would not cancel the Gaibandha-5 poll if the government had any control over the commission, he said.
About BNP’s political programs, the information minister said they met with foreign diplomats and held meetings. The EU ambassador has told them that strikes and blockades have weakened democracy. If they have common sense, they would not go for any further destructive program, he added.
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