EC sits with govt today over expatriate voters

The Election Commission (EC) holds talks with top government officials Thursday over its move to amend laws to register expatriate Bangladeshis as voters, an official said Wednesday, reports bdnews24.com.brThe EC officials will sit with secretaries to the foreign, home, expatriates welfare and law, justice and parliamentary affairs ministries, deputy secretary (election) Mihir Sarwar told the news agency.brIt plans to bring amendments to the Voter Listing Ordinance, 2007 and Voter Listing Regulations, 2008, he added.brIf amendments are brought to the ordinances the expatriate Bangladeshis and dual citizens of Bangladesh will not face any legal barrier to become voters, Sarwar said.brTwo sub-sections would be added to the ordinances, the official added.brThe draft amendment states that a Bangladeshi citizen staying abroad for a short period will be treated as a voter of the constituency where he would live in Bangladesh at the time of registration.brOn the other hand, a Bangladeshi citizen, who holds dual citizenship in line with the Bangladesh Citizenship (Temporary Provisions) Order 1972, will be registered as a voter following sub-section 2 of section 8 of Voter Listing Ordinance, 2007.