This kind of stage show is becoming completely meaningless, so to gain credibility the CEC and its commissioners resorted to a last minute rush. Now when candidatures are cancelled, cases of election code violations are registered, or some transfers take place in the police and administration for partisan behaviour, people see it as a farce.
These may increase till the election day. The Election Commission has completed all the arrangements for the impartiality certificate. A total of 80 specially invited observers are arriving from 11 countries, including China, Russia and India. The ruling party and administration have taken all measures to increase the voting percentage by instilling and motivating fear.
With state benefits and allowances used as a tool, increasing turnout at polling stations would probably not be too difficult. However, since neither of these would give voters an alternative to the ruling party, there is no scope for making it credible. Instead, the Commission can now think about how to accept failure.
*Kamal Ahmed is a senior journalist