EC starts main task of voter list in August
Friday, 20 July 2007
The Election Commission (EC) will start the main task of voter list in the first week of August from Rajshahi, setting off an army-supported mammoth nationwide exercise in preparation for the coming elections, reports UNB.
"Over 200 units would work there for at least one month. The army will provide technical support this time also," Election Commissioner M Sakhawat Hussain told reporters at his office Thursday afternoon.
He said Election Commissioner M Sohul Hussain and he (Sakhawat) are to visit Rajshahi for two days from July 22 to monitor the preparations.
There might be more or less than 0.3 million voters there, the EC assumed, as there were some 0.28 million voters last time.
When the task of voter listing in Rajshahi would be on, the EC would start the same task in Khulna. By then, 500 sets of equipment to be used in Khulna would be reached there.
The equipment sets are being provided by the UNDP as assistance.
About holding national and upazila elections simultaneously, the Election Commissioner said it has not been mentioned in the roadmap that both the elections would be held in one go.
"It has been said that the two elections would be held within the set timeline. There may be one or two three months' gap between the elections."
Clarifying a recent criticism against the EC, he said the government has no involvement in the EC's 18-month timeframe of holding the elections. "The timeframe is absolutely the EC's own decision."
Since the EC has announced its roadmap towards the elections, they have faced strong criticism that the EC now seems to be unison with government over holding the polls by 2008.
Sakhawat clarified that the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) on April (April 5) first announced the 18-month timeframe at a press briefing.
Days after his announcement, Sakhawat said, the Chief Advisor in his address to the nation (On April 12) said that it would be possible to hold the much-awaited parliamentary elections before the end of 2008.
The fact was that the government announced elections by 2008 after getting hints from the EC, he said. "Would it be possible for the government to do the elections if we (EC) wouldn't be ready? So, there is no reason to mix up the two things."
"Over 200 units would work there for at least one month. The army will provide technical support this time also," Election Commissioner M Sakhawat Hussain told reporters at his office Thursday afternoon.
He said Election Commissioner M Sohul Hussain and he (Sakhawat) are to visit Rajshahi for two days from July 22 to monitor the preparations.
There might be more or less than 0.3 million voters there, the EC assumed, as there were some 0.28 million voters last time.
When the task of voter listing in Rajshahi would be on, the EC would start the same task in Khulna. By then, 500 sets of equipment to be used in Khulna would be reached there.
The equipment sets are being provided by the UNDP as assistance.
About holding national and upazila elections simultaneously, the Election Commissioner said it has not been mentioned in the roadmap that both the elections would be held in one go.
"It has been said that the two elections would be held within the set timeline. There may be one or two three months' gap between the elections."
Clarifying a recent criticism against the EC, he said the government has no involvement in the EC's 18-month timeframe of holding the elections. "The timeframe is absolutely the EC's own decision."
Since the EC has announced its roadmap towards the elections, they have faced strong criticism that the EC now seems to be unison with government over holding the polls by 2008.
Sakhawat clarified that the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) on April (April 5) first announced the 18-month timeframe at a press briefing.
Days after his announcement, Sakhawat said, the Chief Advisor in his address to the nation (On April 12) said that it would be possible to hold the much-awaited parliamentary elections before the end of 2008.
The fact was that the government announced elections by 2008 after getting hints from the EC, he said. "Would it be possible for the government to do the elections if we (EC) wouldn't be ready? So, there is no reason to mix up the two things."