Fair progress, talks today: EC
Friday, 21 November 2008
The Election Commission (EC) voiced satisfaction Thursday over BNP's announcement on being ready for Dec 28 polls, calling the apparent compromise "fair progress", reports bdnews24.com.
Election Commissioner Muhammed Sohul Hussain, in an immediate reaction to BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia's televised statement, said: "It is fair progress in the process to facilitate the election."
"We will have to sit tomorrow (Friday) before we can give a decision," he added.
On a possible decision to defer polls, Sohul said it still depended on probable political consensus between the government and political parties.
"Many things can be done if it is necessary for the sake of free and fair election, but due to legal obligation the polls must be held within December."
Chief Election Commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda Wednesday had said the EC was ready to reschedule parliamentary polls for Dec 28 on a given political consensus.
Another report adds: The EC earlier on the day announced a fresh set of dates for nominations and withdrawal of candidacy for the second time since the original schedule for the December 18 general election was announced in early November.
The chief election commissioner (CEC) said Wednesday that the nomination deadline for parliamentary and upazila elections had been pushed back three days to November 23.
It has also pushed back the deadline for cancellation of candidacy to December 1 for the general elections and December 4 for upazila polls, EC Secretary Humayun Kabir said Thursday.
The commission has set November 25 and 26 for the scrutiny of nomination papers for the national elections and November 27-29 for upazila, Kabir said.
"The changes have been made in line with the commission's decision keeping the elections dates unchanged," he said at a press briefing at the EC Secretariat after a meeting of the CEC and two fellow commissioners.
"We have changed the schedule considering the requirement of prospective nominees in submitting their nomination papers," he said.
The secretary did not make any comment while asked if the EC still had any plan to defer the parliamentary election date to December 28 if the political parties agreed.
Election Commissioner Muhammed Sohul Hussain, in an immediate reaction to BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia's televised statement, said: "It is fair progress in the process to facilitate the election."
"We will have to sit tomorrow (Friday) before we can give a decision," he added.
On a possible decision to defer polls, Sohul said it still depended on probable political consensus between the government and political parties.
"Many things can be done if it is necessary for the sake of free and fair election, but due to legal obligation the polls must be held within December."
Chief Election Commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda Wednesday had said the EC was ready to reschedule parliamentary polls for Dec 28 on a given political consensus.
Another report adds: The EC earlier on the day announced a fresh set of dates for nominations and withdrawal of candidacy for the second time since the original schedule for the December 18 general election was announced in early November.
The chief election commissioner (CEC) said Wednesday that the nomination deadline for parliamentary and upazila elections had been pushed back three days to November 23.
It has also pushed back the deadline for cancellation of candidacy to December 1 for the general elections and December 4 for upazila polls, EC Secretary Humayun Kabir said Thursday.
The commission has set November 25 and 26 for the scrutiny of nomination papers for the national elections and November 27-29 for upazila, Kabir said.
"The changes have been made in line with the commission's decision keeping the elections dates unchanged," he said at a press briefing at the EC Secretariat after a meeting of the CEC and two fellow commissioners.
"We have changed the schedule considering the requirement of prospective nominees in submitting their nomination papers," he said.
The secretary did not make any comment while asked if the EC still had any plan to defer the parliamentary election date to December 28 if the political parties agreed.