OIC assistance sought for expatriate vote, no alternative to proxy voting for large participation: EC Sanaullah

Highlights 

• Election Commission seeks OIC help for expatriate voting in national polls 
• Sanaullah says proxy voting is the best option for large-scale expatriate participation
• Representatives from 10 OIC countries met the Election Commission 
• Malaysia offers expertise on electoral reforms and overseas workers

The Election Commission has sought assistance from Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries for the vote of expatriate Bangladeshis in the upcoming national polls and there is no alternative to proxy voting for large-scale participation of the expatriate community, Election Commissioner Abul Fazal Mohammad Sanaullah stated today (17 March).

He made the statements after a meeting at the Election Commission with representatives from 10 OIC member countries' missions.

During the meeting, the Election Commission shared the preparatory activities for the upcoming national polls and exchanged experiences with the OIC member countries.

At the time, Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, three election commissioners, and the EC's senior secretary were present.

Representatives from Algeria, Brunei, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Kuwait, Malaysia, Morocco, Pakistan, and the United Arab Emirates attended the meeting.

Election Commissioner Mohammad Sanaullah said ongoing meetings and exchanges of views are being held with development partner countries and organisations. As part of this, heads of missions from OIC countries were invited to the country.

"Some ambassadors [from OIC countries] have expressed interest in sending observer teams for the election. We have welcomed this and will formalise it in due course," he said.

He mentioned that various preparations and plans of the Election Commission were presented during the meeting. "It is expected that all will be interested in sending observers for the upcoming election."

'No alternatives to proxy voting'

When attention was drawn to concerns about proxy voting for expatriates, EC Sanaullah said, "We have shortlisted all three methods – online, postal ballot, and proxy voting."

"However, if we want expatriates to vote on a large scale, I don't think there is any alternative to proxy voting. The other two options are still in the pilot phase and may not be deployable on a large scale," he said.

He said postal ballots are currently ineffective and discussions were held today on the online system, with the Egyptian ambassador sharing that their experience was not positive. They had implemented online voting but later discontinued it.

"The representative from Pakistan mentioned that their initial experience was positive, but they are not yet in a position to fully implement online voting," he added.

Regarding proxy voting, EC Sanaullah said, "In our country, physically disabled individuals cast their votes with assistance. Now, we need to find the best possible solution [for expatriate vote].

"If we truly want to give our expatriate Bangladeshis the opportunity to vote, we will have to choose one option or a combination of all available options."

He added that the Election Commission will make a final decision on the method after meetings with universities, institutions, and experts at the beginning of April.

At the end of the meeting, Malaysian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Mohd Shuhada Othman, spoke on behalf of the OIC representatives.

He said, "Of course, all the reforms being undertaken by the Bangladesh government, including electoral reforms, are significant. Malaysia is willing to share its expertise, especially regarding overseas workers, to help ensure a free, fair, and credible election."