CG will be history if EC reinforced, says official
Wednesday, 22 April 2009
BAGERHAT, Apr 21 (bdnews24.com): Caretaker government (CG) overseeing polls once an elected government ends term will be a thing of the past if the Election Commission is reinforced, an election official said Tuesday.
"The political parties are mulling the future of the caretaker government. We will soon sit with the parties having representation in parliament to strengthen the Election Commission," M Sakhawat Hussain told administrative officials in Bagerhat.
He said voting in the general elections, four city corporations and Upazila Parishads were fair and added that it was possible to stage a proper election if the ruling party extended cooperation.
Sakhawat said after the by-polls and Upazila Parishad polls they had made some recommendations to the prime minister for free, fair elections in future.
"As a result we could stage fair elections to the five upazilas where polls had been suspended with her assistance," he said.
The commissioner said all the Union Parishad end their term after August. The law stipulates elections within 180 days after the expiry, but it would not be possible due to the rainy reason between July and first week of September, he added.
"We will try to finish polls to Union Parishad, municipality and Dhaka City Corporation between October 2009 and February 2010," Sakhawat said.
The elections depend on the amendment to Union Parishad, municipality and DCC ordinances, Sakhawat said.
The EC divided the country into nine regions to collect information and set up 502 server stations with the help of UNDP and the government.
The Public Works Department will build the infrastructure in district headquarters while the Local Government Engineering Department will work in the unions and thanas.
It might require to buy 22 percent land in regional level, 10 percent in upazila and thana levels and 10 to 15 percent in district headquarters to put in place the right setup, the official said.
The EC will be stronger after the completion of the work by 2011, Sakhawat said.
The update of voter list will start from May that will include people who were dropped off the voter list, expatriates Bangladeshis and 18+ voters. The voters who have died by this time will be crossed off the list.
Sakhawat is touring the south and having meetings to install server stations. He is set to visit Faridpur, Khulna and Magura next.
"The political parties are mulling the future of the caretaker government. We will soon sit with the parties having representation in parliament to strengthen the Election Commission," M Sakhawat Hussain told administrative officials in Bagerhat.
He said voting in the general elections, four city corporations and Upazila Parishads were fair and added that it was possible to stage a proper election if the ruling party extended cooperation.
Sakhawat said after the by-polls and Upazila Parishad polls they had made some recommendations to the prime minister for free, fair elections in future.
"As a result we could stage fair elections to the five upazilas where polls had been suspended with her assistance," he said.
The commissioner said all the Union Parishad end their term after August. The law stipulates elections within 180 days after the expiry, but it would not be possible due to the rainy reason between July and first week of September, he added.
"We will try to finish polls to Union Parishad, municipality and Dhaka City Corporation between October 2009 and February 2010," Sakhawat said.
The elections depend on the amendment to Union Parishad, municipality and DCC ordinances, Sakhawat said.
The EC divided the country into nine regions to collect information and set up 502 server stations with the help of UNDP and the government.
The Public Works Department will build the infrastructure in district headquarters while the Local Government Engineering Department will work in the unions and thanas.
It might require to buy 22 percent land in regional level, 10 percent in upazila and thana levels and 10 to 15 percent in district headquarters to put in place the right setup, the official said.
The EC will be stronger after the completion of the work by 2011, Sakhawat said.
The update of voter list will start from May that will include people who were dropped off the voter list, expatriates Bangladeshis and 18+ voters. The voters who have died by this time will be crossed off the list.
Sakhawat is touring the south and having meetings to install server stations. He is set to visit Faridpur, Khulna and Magura next.