EC announces roadmap for 2008 general election
Monday, 16 July 2007
Chief election commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda Sunday said elections would be held by December next year, report agencies.
The CEC formally announced the much-awaited election roadmap and said the Election Commission (EC) would complete the new electoral roll with photographs by October next year.
"This is the cutoff date of the roadmap," Huda told reporters at a news briefing at the EC secretariat. "If we are able to make the voter's list earlier, we will hold the elections before the (December) deadline."
The polls were earlier stalled by a grave political deadlock following irreconcilable hostilities between two major political camps over the electoral issues last January, which led to the declaration of the state of emergency followed by a political-rectification drive under the interim regime.
He said the commission would stage local government elections in areas where the voter's list would be completed ahead of schedule. He said elections to city corporations, pourashavas, union parishads and upazila parishads will start from January next.
He said the commission would sit with political parties to talk about electoral reforms alongside the work of the new voter's list.
The EC will make reform-related laws final by February next year, Huda said.
"We will discuss the drafts of the laws with political parties in September, October and November this year. Besides, we have to discuss with them the issue relating to transparent ballot boxes," he said.
"The issue of transparent ballot boxes has to be reconsidered. Because it is very expensive."
Asked what if the ban on indoor politics is not lifted so soon, he said: "We hope indoor politics will restart by the time. The commission does not work on hollow grounds. Discussions at different levels raised the hope."
Huda said: "Now the reform process is going on in political parties. What reform they are doing is up to them. But the process has to end and must produce a result."
"We will discuss with political parties, but it doesn't mean we will accept everything they say," he said.
Huda said that June 2008 is the deadline for political parties to sign up for registration with the EC. He said, "This is the first time the registration of political parties has been made mandatory for participation in the election."
The CEC sought cooperation from all to make the voter's list with photographs and national ID cards.
"Without cooperation from all, the Election Commission alone can never perform this task," Huda said.
The CEC formally announced the much-awaited election roadmap and said the Election Commission (EC) would complete the new electoral roll with photographs by October next year.
"This is the cutoff date of the roadmap," Huda told reporters at a news briefing at the EC secretariat. "If we are able to make the voter's list earlier, we will hold the elections before the (December) deadline."
The polls were earlier stalled by a grave political deadlock following irreconcilable hostilities between two major political camps over the electoral issues last January, which led to the declaration of the state of emergency followed by a political-rectification drive under the interim regime.
He said the commission would stage local government elections in areas where the voter's list would be completed ahead of schedule. He said elections to city corporations, pourashavas, union parishads and upazila parishads will start from January next.
He said the commission would sit with political parties to talk about electoral reforms alongside the work of the new voter's list.
The EC will make reform-related laws final by February next year, Huda said.
"We will discuss the drafts of the laws with political parties in September, October and November this year. Besides, we have to discuss with them the issue relating to transparent ballot boxes," he said.
"The issue of transparent ballot boxes has to be reconsidered. Because it is very expensive."
Asked what if the ban on indoor politics is not lifted so soon, he said: "We hope indoor politics will restart by the time. The commission does not work on hollow grounds. Discussions at different levels raised the hope."
Huda said: "Now the reform process is going on in political parties. What reform they are doing is up to them. But the process has to end and must produce a result."
"We will discuss with political parties, but it doesn't mean we will accept everything they say," he said.
Huda said that June 2008 is the deadline for political parties to sign up for registration with the EC. He said, "This is the first time the registration of political parties has been made mandatory for participation in the election."
The CEC sought cooperation from all to make the voter's list with photographs and national ID cards.
"Without cooperation from all, the Election Commission alone can never perform this task," Huda said.