Leaders of Election Monitoring Forum (EMF) said the Election Commission (EC) has proved its impartiality, boldness and capability by holding free and fair polls in the five city corporations. Though a major political party did not participate in the recently held five city corporation polls, a good number of their former councillors and local leaders took part in the elections and they were elected, said the leaders of EMF, the largest election observer platform in Bangladesh, as they met a delegation of the Election Exploratory Mission from European Union (EU), said a press release. The EMF leaders said they have observed that the government has not interfered or influenced the elections in all the recently held local elections and it has fully cooperated with the Election Commission (EC) in maintaining the law and order situation. The EMF leaders said the EC has taken some stringent measures for ensuring free and fair polls apart from ensuring the safety of voters. The EC has implemented strict monitoring of law and order situations, including installation of CCTV cameras to ensure the safety of voters during the local elections, they said, adding that cancellation of voting due to irregularities in the Gaibandha by-election has boosted the confidence of voters. The EMF leaders said they think that it is necessary to analyze not only the 2014 and 2018 elections but also the results of the 1996, 2001 and 2008 elections and the various complaints of the defeated opposition parties. Welcoming the representatives of the EU delegates, the EMF leaders said although Bangladesh is not a member of the EU, they (EMF) consider the EU’s interest in Bangladesh’s polls with a positive attitude. “However, the general people of the country don’t support external interference in Bangladesh’s internal electoral system or process,” they added. During the meeting, the EU mission members expressed surprise over the reservation of political parties in using Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in elections. They also wanted to know about the EMF’s preparation regarding monitoring of the upcoming elections. EMF Chairman Professor Mohammad Abed Ali, EMF advisor and former Election Commissioner Brigadier General (Retd) Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury, directors of the forum – Vice-Chancellor of DUET Prof Dr Habibur Rahman and BUET Pro-Vice-Chancellor Dr Abdul Jabbar Khan – were present at the meeting, added the release. EU delegation leader Chelleri Riccardo led the EU team during the meeting.