CEC finds no reason to halt 'election express'
Friday, 30 November 2007
There has not been any such disaster facing the nation as to halt the 'election express', said Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda Thursday.
"It's true that because of recent recurrent natural disasters, the Election Commission (EC) is faced with certain hindrances in voter registration in affected areas," he said during the EC's electoral reform dialogue with Shamyabadi Dal (ML), reports bdnews24.com.
"We've postponed voter listing in Patuakhali and Borguna districts, but the process is ongoing in the rest of the country," Huda pointed out.
During the dialogue, the 10-member Shamyabadi Dal delegation led by its General Secretary Dilip Barua followed other parties in proposing the barring of war criminals and anti-liberation elements from general elections.
They also proposed stripping the armed forces of their arresting powers during elections, using transparent ballot boxes, annulling the 'no vote' proposal, establishing an independent EC Secretariat and reducing election expenses to Tk 0.30 million per candidate.
Speaking to reporters after the dialogue, the CEC said the general elections could not be held within 90 days of the caretaker government assuming power for various practical reasons.
The EC will notify the government as soon as they are ready to hold general elections, he added reiterating that the elections would be held by 2008 without fail.
"It's true that because of recent recurrent natural disasters, the Election Commission (EC) is faced with certain hindrances in voter registration in affected areas," he said during the EC's electoral reform dialogue with Shamyabadi Dal (ML), reports bdnews24.com.
"We've postponed voter listing in Patuakhali and Borguna districts, but the process is ongoing in the rest of the country," Huda pointed out.
During the dialogue, the 10-member Shamyabadi Dal delegation led by its General Secretary Dilip Barua followed other parties in proposing the barring of war criminals and anti-liberation elements from general elections.
They also proposed stripping the armed forces of their arresting powers during elections, using transparent ballot boxes, annulling the 'no vote' proposal, establishing an independent EC Secretariat and reducing election expenses to Tk 0.30 million per candidate.
Speaking to reporters after the dialogue, the CEC said the general elections could not be held within 90 days of the caretaker government assuming power for various practical reasons.
The EC will notify the government as soon as they are ready to hold general elections, he added reiterating that the elections would be held by 2008 without fail.