Govt officials barred from referendum campaigning; EC to notify Cabinet Division

The Election Commission (EC) has said government officials and employees will not be allowed to take sides in favour of either 'Yes' or 'No' in the upcoming referendum, and that a formal letter will be sent to the Cabinet Division in this regard.

An election commissioner told The Business Standard that while there is no legal complication with the interim government's position in favour of a 'Yes' vote, government officials and employees are constitutionally bound to remain neutral and cannot publicly align themselves with either side.

Speaking to reporters yesterday (28 January), Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud said the EC Secretariat would soon write to the Cabinet Division, requesting it to take necessary measures to ensure neutrality among government employees.

He said government officials may take part in general voter awareness activities related to the referendum, but must refrain from campaigning for or against 'Yes' or 'No'.

The move comes amid reports of government employees engaging in campaigns supporting the 'Yes' vote.

Earlier, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus had addressed the nation through a video message, calling on people to vote 'Yes' in the referendum. Advisers to the interim government have also been actively campaigning in favour of the 'Yes' vote.

The interim government has undertaken a large-scale campaign to explain the referendum to the public. However, critics have raised questions, arguing that the campaign is effectively promoting a 'Yes' vote.

Since the announcement of the election schedule, the EC has deployed 69 returning officers, around 600 assistant returning officers, and more than a thousand executive and judicial magistrates. More than 800,000 polling officials and over 900,000 members of law enforcement agencies will be involved in election duties.

Against this backdrop, the commission has repeatedly stated that government officials involved in election duties – including returning officers and assistant returning officers – may participate in voter awareness efforts related to the referendum, but are strictly prohibited from expressing or promoting support for either side.

Currently, there are around 1.4 million government employees in the country, all of whom are barred from taking partisan positions in the referendum.

Clarifying the issue, Abdur Rahmanel Masud said, "We will send a letter to the government through the Cabinet Division. The relevant authorities will take appropriate action. Government officials may raise awareness about the referendum or participate in outreach activities, but they cannot ask people to vote 'Yes' or 'No'."

He added that advisers to the interim government are not government officials under the service rules, and therefore face no restrictions on campaigning in favour of either side in the referendum.