EC in dilemma over polls schedule deferment
Wednesday, 22 October 2008
The Election Commission (EC) is in two minds as to whether the election schedule should be deferred as a crucial legal process drifted in courts over delimitation of parliamentary constituencies.
As such, the Commission would take a decision over this matter after taking final suggestion from its lawyers, who had been dealing with the dispute moving from this court to that, an election commissioner said Tuesday, reports UNB.
"It's a big problem for the Election Commission… For last two months, our lawyers have been moving to 8-9 courts," Brig Gen (rtd) M Sakhawat Hossain told reporters at his office in the afternoon.
Replying to a question, he said the Commission would not say whether announcement of the election schedule would be deferred without counselling by the EC-employed counsel.
"Finally getting lawyers' suggestion it'll be possible to say whether the schedules will be deferred or not," he said, amid apprehension that it could be difficult to announce the poll schedule within the envisaged time if a pending writ with the High Court was not disposed of, by then.
The EC had earlier said that the schedule for the December 18 polls would be unveiled on November 1 or November 2.
About the registration of political parties for qualifying for the election as per provision of the reformed politico-electoral rules, Sakhawat observed that all political parties were election-oriented and they were proceeding ahead for getting registered with the Commission.
"All political parties are willing for registration," he said.
Terming election a preliminary step to democracy, he said the Commission went on trying to create a democratic environment in the country through holding the elections. "There's no alternative to election in democracy," he said.
He expressed the hope that party registration would help evolve accountability, democracy and transparency among the political parties and also help forge a strong relationship with the Commission in future.
"The Commission can discuss any matter with the political parties any time, if necessary, when the relationship remains better between them," he said.
The election commissioner said the Commission's relations with political parties were formally built during the time of election only, but this tradition should be broken.
As such, the Commission would take a decision over this matter after taking final suggestion from its lawyers, who had been dealing with the dispute moving from this court to that, an election commissioner said Tuesday, reports UNB.
"It's a big problem for the Election Commission… For last two months, our lawyers have been moving to 8-9 courts," Brig Gen (rtd) M Sakhawat Hossain told reporters at his office in the afternoon.
Replying to a question, he said the Commission would not say whether announcement of the election schedule would be deferred without counselling by the EC-employed counsel.
"Finally getting lawyers' suggestion it'll be possible to say whether the schedules will be deferred or not," he said, amid apprehension that it could be difficult to announce the poll schedule within the envisaged time if a pending writ with the High Court was not disposed of, by then.
The EC had earlier said that the schedule for the December 18 polls would be unveiled on November 1 or November 2.
About the registration of political parties for qualifying for the election as per provision of the reformed politico-electoral rules, Sakhawat observed that all political parties were election-oriented and they were proceeding ahead for getting registered with the Commission.
"All political parties are willing for registration," he said.
Terming election a preliminary step to democracy, he said the Commission went on trying to create a democratic environment in the country through holding the elections. "There's no alternative to election in democracy," he said.
He expressed the hope that party registration would help evolve accountability, democracy and transparency among the political parties and also help forge a strong relationship with the Commission in future.
"The Commission can discuss any matter with the political parties any time, if necessary, when the relationship remains better between them," he said.
The election commissioner said the Commission's relations with political parties were formally built during the time of election only, but this tradition should be broken.