Will see about international, national acceptance after the polls: CEC

Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal today said they would see about national and international acceptance of the January 7 polls after the election is over.

“I am not going to comment on that. We’ll see after the election,” he said when asked about whether there will be any problem regarding the national and international acceptance of the 12th parliamentary election.

He made the comments while talking with reporters at the EC office in Agargaon this afternoon following a meeting with Iwama Kiminori, the Japanese envoy in Dhaka.

Seventeen political parties including the major opposition BNP have boycotted the polls. Twenty-seven parties are talking part in the election, including ruling Awami League and its alliance partners, as well as little known and newly floated parties.

Asked about the non-participating declaring that they would resist the polls, the CEC said, “Let’s see what happens. If anyone wants to resist the polls, it is their matter. This is a political strategy. We’re not going to comment on that. We want the election to be peaceful.”

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