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Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal on Monday said Representation of the People Order (RPO) Amendment Bill 2023 — passed by the National Parliament last week — will strengthen their existing authority as the government amended the RPO in consultation with election commission, reports UNB.
"No authority of the Election Commission (EC) has been abolished with the amendment; it has been consolidated. Many have commented that EC has dug its own grave. The Election Commission may make mistakes but it didn’t dig its own grave," he said.
Habibul made the comment while presenting his position in the Election Building after the RPO Amendment Bill was passed by the parliament and gazetted with the president's signature.
He explained the provisions of the law one by one and shared what was offered and what was kept from the government.
"The Cabinet did not make changes, they asked for our opinion. In 91A, there was a minor change. We asked to stop voting in any seat in case of irregularities. They said, we will only stop voting where the election will be obstructed. It seems very logical to us. And no change has been made by the government or parliament. From there, this law was passed in the form of a bill and gazetted after the president's assent on Sunday," he said.
The reason for sharing this with the media is that comments have come from various quarters, and those might confuse people, added the CEC.
Bd-pratidin English/Golam Rosul
