Poll roadmap to be serially completed: CEC
Friday, 27 July 2007
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda Thursday said confusion surfacing in the country's political arena about the election roadmap would become clear when the Election Commission (EC) would serially complete the tasks under the plan, reports UNB.
"There is no confusion about the election roadmap among the majority of the people. But some political activists are questioning it based on their own angles which is very much normal and logical," he told reporters in the afternoon at a press briefing at the EC secretariat.
The CEC said the politicians are raising question as the huge task of voters' list with photographs didn't yet finish in many countries even after two or three years of the start.
"The confusion will be clear when we will move forward completing the voter list one after another in different localities… Will hold the Rajshahi and Khulna City Corporation elections as per the roadmap," he said, trying to dispel the skepticism.
CEC Huda was clarifying different comments and media reports about the EC-announced roadmap towards holding elections -- from local to national by December 2008.
"The image of the Election Commission degraded to such a low level… When we amend the concerned electoral laws, discuss with political parties, the people will understand that the works (EC) promised to do are being done… It will be seen within next 5-6 months."
About the criticism as to why the EC is giving so much importance to holding the local elections rather than parliamentary elections, as holding local-body elections is not the EC's duty, CEC Huda said there are requests from the Chief Adviser and the LGRD Adviser to hold those polls.
Regarding the EC purview of holding such elections, he cited clause 2 of article 119 of the Constitution that says: The Election Commission shall perform such functions, in addition to those specified in the forgoing clauses, as may be prescribed by this Constitution or by any other laws.
"There are a total of 55 laws that say the EC could hold such elections," he said in an apparent rebuttal, adding that five city-corporation elections, 64 municipal elections among 308 and election to all the 507 upazilas would be due by 2008.
About holding discussion with the political parties against the backdrop of recent political crisis and vacuum of leadership, the CEC Huda said everything is going through legal process and they (EC) are waiting for the 'end-result' (of political crisis and vacuum of leadership).
"Once a time will come through this process when an atmosphere of holding discussion will be created," he told the journalists in an oblique reference to the waves of reform sweeping through the political circles in the changed scenario.
"We at least discussed with the Chief Adviser the roadmap," he said, hinting that the ban on indoor politics would be lifted by September as the roadmap says the EC would sit with the political parties for dialogue from the month.
"There is no confusion about the election roadmap among the majority of the people. But some political activists are questioning it based on their own angles which is very much normal and logical," he told reporters in the afternoon at a press briefing at the EC secretariat.
The CEC said the politicians are raising question as the huge task of voters' list with photographs didn't yet finish in many countries even after two or three years of the start.
"The confusion will be clear when we will move forward completing the voter list one after another in different localities… Will hold the Rajshahi and Khulna City Corporation elections as per the roadmap," he said, trying to dispel the skepticism.
CEC Huda was clarifying different comments and media reports about the EC-announced roadmap towards holding elections -- from local to national by December 2008.
"The image of the Election Commission degraded to such a low level… When we amend the concerned electoral laws, discuss with political parties, the people will understand that the works (EC) promised to do are being done… It will be seen within next 5-6 months."
About the criticism as to why the EC is giving so much importance to holding the local elections rather than parliamentary elections, as holding local-body elections is not the EC's duty, CEC Huda said there are requests from the Chief Adviser and the LGRD Adviser to hold those polls.
Regarding the EC purview of holding such elections, he cited clause 2 of article 119 of the Constitution that says: The Election Commission shall perform such functions, in addition to those specified in the forgoing clauses, as may be prescribed by this Constitution or by any other laws.
"There are a total of 55 laws that say the EC could hold such elections," he said in an apparent rebuttal, adding that five city-corporation elections, 64 municipal elections among 308 and election to all the 507 upazilas would be due by 2008.
About holding discussion with the political parties against the backdrop of recent political crisis and vacuum of leadership, the CEC Huda said everything is going through legal process and they (EC) are waiting for the 'end-result' (of political crisis and vacuum of leadership).
"Once a time will come through this process when an atmosphere of holding discussion will be created," he told the journalists in an oblique reference to the waves of reform sweeping through the political circles in the changed scenario.
"We at least discussed with the Chief Adviser the roadmap," he said, hinting that the ban on indoor politics would be lifted by September as the roadmap says the EC would sit with the political parties for dialogue from the month.