Staff Reporter :
Legislative elections were over in Russia on Sunday. There are 450 seats in the State Duma (lower house of the Federal Assembly). One thing is, however, clear if the pro-Putin United Russia party wins a big majority, critics will dismiss the result as fraudulent.
Interestingly, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda had gone to Russia to observe the Duma election.
On September 16, EC Joint Secretary SM
Asaduzzaman confirmed that CEC would lead a two-member delegation during his seven-day official visit on invitation of Russian counterpart.
Abul Kashem Mohammed Mazharul Islam, Private Secretary to the CEC, is with him, said the EC officials.
The delegation will return to Dhaka on September 22.
In absence of KM Nurul Huda, EC Mahbub Talukdar has been working as in-charge CEC, officials said.
Most elections including last general election in recent years were held by the EC and CEC Nurul Huda earned huge criticism because of various controversies including rigging, intimidation and stuffing of ballot boxes in favour of ruling party candidates.
The commission was also criticised for misappropriating funds in the name of organising training sessions, travel purposes and paying fees to workshop speakers.
In December 2020, 42 eminent personalities’ submitted a set of allegations of corruption and irregularities occurred in the elections so far held to the President Abdul Hamid and requested the President to form a Supreme Judicial Council for justice through fair investigation.
Going into the elections, United Russia won in the 2016 elections with 54.2% of the vote, capturing 343 seats. The tenure of the KM Nurul Huda led commission is going to end in February 2022.
