EC to develop health manual to conduct polls

The Election Commission has initiated discussion with the health authorities to formulate a manual of guidelines to conduct the parliamentary elections in a COVID- 19 contained environment instead of waiting for its total eradication, an informed source said.

The Commission has decided to do explore the possibility of conducting the elections in an environment in which the spread of the COVID-29 is controlled because the total eradication would be possible only after a vaccine was developed.

“We have to conduct the elections once the COVID-19 outbreak is contained. It does not mean we will take polling on June 20. We are formulating these guidelines together with the epidemiologists to be followed in holding the election whenever it is feasible. Social distancing, hand sanitizing and wearing face masks will be the three key to principles being considered in working out this manual,” the source said.

A committee comprising health and election officials has been appointed to work in this regard. The committee also met yesterday.