A total of 78.46 present votes are cast in the second phase of the country’s Union Parishad elections, an official of the Election Commission says.

The Election Commission would not take responsibility for the violence over union parishad polls, an EC commissioner said yesterday.

The Election Commission has decided to ask the returning officers to file cases against those involved in electoral irregularities and violence at all the 65 polling centres where voting was suspended during the union parishad polls on Tuesday.

Chief Election Commission Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad yesterday directed the law enforcers to open fire on criminals if they try to occupy polling stations or stuff ballot boxes during the union parishad polls.

The BNP has alleged that the ruling Awami League and the Election Commission are plotting to ensure victories for the AL candidates in the union parishad polls through electoral irregularities, but the AL and the EC have brushed aside the allegations.

The Election Commission is not going to seek army deployment in the upcoming Union Parishad polls as the EC apprehends lower level of violence compared to other elections.

Election to 752 union parishads, the first phase of the root level elections throughout the country, will be held on March 22 in a partisan manner.

The Election Commission says more than 44.32 lakh new voters have been registered in the electoral roll across the country last year.

Re-elections to 51 polling stations in 20 municipalities across the country will be held on January 12, officials at the Election Commission say.

Terming it as an "updated version" of vote rigging, BNP decides to express their dissatisfaction of the municipality polls.

Jatiya Party, a key ally of the Awami League-led grand alliance government alleges that today’s municipality elections were not fair by any chance.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmed claims that the municipality elections were held in a peaceful manner except some stray incidents here and there.

Election Commission has suspended five policemen in-charge of separate voting centres in Chittagong’s Chandnaish and Madaripur’s Kalkini municipalities.

Clashes, and attacks and arrests of BNP men marked the day before the much-hyped municipality polls today, casting doubt over the election's being free and fair.

There is no doubt that holding a fair and free election in a democratic manner brightens a ruling party's image. Why, then, do the parties in power seldom follow the path to take its image to new heights?

Elections are test times. Today, it's a crucial credibility and popularity test for the major political players.

The Election Commission has not yet ordered inquiry into the allegations of electoral code violation by around 20 ministers and lawmakers.

The Election Commission seeks a 24-hour restriction on movement of all sorts of motorised vehicles from early hours of December 30 in municipal areas that go to polls on that day.

BNP alleges that the government and the Election Commission are jointly conspiring to influence December 30 municipal election results in favour of the ruling party.

The BNP-led 20-party alliance leaders will take part in the campaign for candidates of any of their partners in the upcoming municipality elections.