Voters have no confidence in election system: Dr Kamal

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UNB, DHAKA: Voicing dissatisfaction over the low voter turnout, Jatiya Oikya Front Convener Dr Kamal Hossain on Saturday said voters are not coming to polling stations as they have no confidence in the election system.

“I’m not satisfied at all with the voter turnout. It takes a long time to cast vote. Among 2,600 voters, less than a hundred votes were cast by 10:30am,” he said.

After casting his vote at Viqarunnisa Noon School and College voting centre, Dr Kamal said one of the reasons behind the low turnout can be that voters’ lack of confidence in the electoral system.

Dr Kamal, also the president of Gonoforum, said he is receiving complaints that BNP agents are being driven out of and obstructed from entering polling centres while people are facing difficulties in casting votes.

 

Narrating his personal experiences, Dr kamal said it took him around 30 minutes to complete his voting process. “EVM is a complicated system,” he said. “I’m not sure people will come to polling centre to cast their votes since the process is so complicated.”

He, however, urged voters to come to the polling centres and exercise their franchise.

Asked whether voters’ opinion will be reflected through the EVM, he said it is difficult to say anything right now. “It’ll be cleared through the results.”

Kamal went to the polling station around 10:10 am and came out around 10:45m as it took him 30 minutes to cast vote as his fingerprint did not match.

Later, assistant presiding officer Kauser-e-Jahan used her fingerprint enabling Dr Kamal to cast his vote.

Talking to reporters, Kauser-e-Jahan said assistant presiding officer officers have been given a scope to approve only one percent of the voters whose fingerprint does not march.