Dialogue with EC not possible under emergency: Zillur

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Acting Awami League president Zillur Rahman Saturday said that under the state of emergency, it is not possible for his party to sit with the Election Commission for dialogue to discuss electoral reforms, reports UNB.
Zillur Rahman, who is acting in place of his party's detained president and former premier, Sheikh Hasina, made the AL position clear when the EC is preparing to invite the eligible political parties to consultation on reforms under the recipe of the present caretaker regime.
"This is a national issue and the fate of 14 crore people depends on it. So, The meeting of the working committee needs to be held to discuss the matter, which is not possible under the state of emergency. Therefore, it is not possible to hold discussions with the EC," he told reporters at his Gulshan residence.
Asked to comment on the remarks made by BNP secretary general Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, who said on Friday that the EC should concentrate more on preparation of voter list rather than holding talks, Zillur took a diametrically different stand. "Discussions with the parties are indeed necessary before preparing the voter list," he said.
Replying to a question, he said that without involvement of the leaders and workers of the political parties in the preparation of the voter list there would always be doubts.
The acting AL president requested the government to allow detained party chief Sheikh Hasina to talk to her son, daughter and sister over telephone, as there is no restriction on doing so under the jail codes.
Noting that the flood-affected people have no safe shelter and food, he said that alongside the government the well-off people of society should also have to come forward in aid of these people in penury.