EC to remain neutral on national govt issue: Sohul

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The Election Commission (EC) wants to remain neutral about the national government issue, as it thinks the country's intellectuals and constitutional experts should decide the matter, reports UNB.
"We have no comment at the moment. Let the concept be matured. Let's see how the idea develops and proceeds in which way. We are not yet thinking anything about the issue," Election Commissioner M Sohul Hussain said Wednesday when the newsmen sought an EC version on the theory of national government.
The EC wants to reserve its comment on the much-talked-about formula, mooted by former President AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury, he said.
"Is it that you are speaking about holding an election of yes-no vote on the idea of national government? We are not thinking of it also," Sohul said in reply when asked what the EC is thinking in the event of any consensus on the proposed national government.
Sohul and the other Election Commissioner, M Sakhawat Hussain, are to visit the UK in November to explore whether most of the UK expatriates are interested to be enrolled in the voter list or not.
"We will hold view-exchange meetings with the expatriate Bangladeshis in four places - London, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Manchester - to find out their interest to be voter," he said.
The EC recently held a meeting with the Foreign Adviser about the visit, and the adviser lent his full support to the EC's move towards enrolling the UK expatriates in the voter list. He has assured all cooperation from the Bangladesh High Commission in the UK, said Sohul.
"It would be decided after the visit whether the majority are interested to be voter, how the expatriates can be enrolled, and when the process will start," he told the reporters.
The EC is giving priority to the UK expatriates in enrolling them, since the country's citizenship law ensures the voting right of the dual citizens, who are holding both the Bangladeshi and the British citizenships, for their great contribution to the Liberation War of 1971.
"But enrolling as voters will be optional for the expatriates, if the decision is taken to enroll them, as many may have problems in this regard, while inside the country we are trying to enroll each and every eligible person in the list," Sohul said.