EC begins groundwork for referendum and national polls

The Election Commission has started preparatory work to hold a possible national referendum before or alongside the upcoming 13th parliamentary election.

The commission is planning to draft manuals, operational guidelines, and forms related to the management and training required for conducting a referendum, according to EC officials.

Meanwhile, the National Consensus Commission has recommended holding a referendum either on the same day as the upcoming parliamentary election or just before it. The Consensus Commission also urged the EC to engage in discussions soon.

Preliminary EC assessments suggest that holding both polls together would require about Tk50 crore in additional expenses, mostly for staffing and printing.

When contacted today (28 October), EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said, "The Election Commission has not yet received any official recommendation. Once we do, we will make a decision. Before that, we cannot comment on it."

The EC is set to hold an inter-ministerial meeting tomorrow at 3pm in its conference room to discuss preparatory measures for the elections.

Logistical challenges, cost considerations

If the national election and referendum are held simultaneously, the EC estimates that around 50,000 additional polling booths and some 1,50,000 extra polling officials will be required.

The commission would also need at least six weeks to purchase 15,000 transparent ballot boxes through the direct purchase method.

EC officials said holding both votes on the same day would be more cost-effective but take longer to conduct, mainly due to the extra time needed for printing and counting two separate ballots.

In contrast, holding the referendum on a different day would reduce logistical pressure but slightly increase expenses.

Former additional secretary of the Election Commission Secretariat, Jasmine Tuli, who served during the referendums of 1985 and 1991, told The Business Standard that the logistical requirements for a referendum are almost identical to those of a parliamentary election.

She also noted that a joint election and referendum would be easier to manage and more economical. "It will reduce administrative pressure since the same security forces, polling centres, and logistics can be used," she said.

However, she cautioned that dual ballots would take more time to cast and count, requiring additional ballot boxes at each polling centre.