Post subject: Acting CEC rules out his replacement
Dhaka, Dec 5 (bdnews24.com) – A newcomer to the Election Commission will be a fifth commissioner, not acting chief election commissioner, said the temporary boss of the main election office Mahfuzur Rahman Tuesday.
"Whoever comes next will be the fifth election commissioner," Rahman said of the EC that runs with four commissioners, plus himself at the top.
"Who comes first to the EC (as commissioner) is the most senior," said Rahman who found himself at the helm of the Election Commission in line of superiority after CEC MA Aziz went on leave.
The acting CEC fielded a barrage of questions from the press at the Election Commission Secretariat amid reports the interim authority started gunning for a person to head the EC through elections due in January.
"Can a junior head the commission?" he asked reporters in a counter question when he was pressed to comment on media reports on the probable appointment of a new commissioner.
On the flawed voter list, Rahman said: "We will take all measures to update and correct the list."
The express decision on voter-list correction—a long-running demand by the Awami League and its smaller allies—came after his follow-up midday meeting with President Iajuddin Ahmed at the Bangabhaban.
Rahman said the Washington-based National Democratic Institute wanted to help the Election Commission update the voter list.
This is a break with what he said earlier.
The acting CEC Sunday rubbished a NDI report that identified 1.22 crore fake voters on the electoral roll.
On demand for a change to the rushed poll schedule, he said: "Holding an election in 90 days is a constitutional binding. But other deadlines in the poll schedule can change."
