Specific dates for all elections to be announced Monday: CEC
Thursday, 18 September 2008
Specific dates for all elections, including Upazila and parliamentary polls, would be announced Monday (September 22) on conclusion of discussions with all parties concerned, reports UNB.
It was disclosed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda at his Secretariat in the city Wednesday.
Dr Huda said the commission would sit in dialogue with BNP and its allies Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Oikya Jote (IOJ) Saturday to wrap up the staggered pre-poll consultation with the political parties on politico-electoral reform issues.
"We'll complete the dialogue with all parties Saturday," he told the waiting reporters when replying to a question at the EC Secretariat Wednesday.
Dr Huda said the commission already received the letters from Jamaat-e-Islami and IOJ Wednesday about their readiness to sit for a dialogue. But the BNP informed the EC that the former ruling party is not ready to sit for talks with the commission Thursday pending their party decision.
"So, we'll finish dialogue in a single day," he said about the planned Monday finale.
Replying to a question, he said according to the rules and the constitution, the CEC always declares the election date, it was not declared by the Chief Adviser.
The CEC was asked to clarify the matter as one adviser of the caretaker government recently commented that the election date would be announced by Chief Adviser after return from state visit to China.
He said the commission would have to announce the specific dates for all elections after making a fresh plan and counting the days carefully for the time lag as the earlier plan about the polls didn't stand. "We've to find out how much gap would there be among the elections," he said.
The CEC, however, said the decision would be taken through discussion as to which election comes first and which thereafter.
He said there would not be confusion after the announcement of the election dates. "There would not be problem with the election schedule after declaring the specific dates for elections."
The CEC informed that the Election Commission would meet the Chief Adviser before calling the crucial polls.
Election Commissioners M Sohul Hussain and Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain were present during the talk.
It was disclosed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda at his Secretariat in the city Wednesday.
Dr Huda said the commission would sit in dialogue with BNP and its allies Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Oikya Jote (IOJ) Saturday to wrap up the staggered pre-poll consultation with the political parties on politico-electoral reform issues.
"We'll complete the dialogue with all parties Saturday," he told the waiting reporters when replying to a question at the EC Secretariat Wednesday.
Dr Huda said the commission already received the letters from Jamaat-e-Islami and IOJ Wednesday about their readiness to sit for a dialogue. But the BNP informed the EC that the former ruling party is not ready to sit for talks with the commission Thursday pending their party decision.
"So, we'll finish dialogue in a single day," he said about the planned Monday finale.
Replying to a question, he said according to the rules and the constitution, the CEC always declares the election date, it was not declared by the Chief Adviser.
The CEC was asked to clarify the matter as one adviser of the caretaker government recently commented that the election date would be announced by Chief Adviser after return from state visit to China.
He said the commission would have to announce the specific dates for all elections after making a fresh plan and counting the days carefully for the time lag as the earlier plan about the polls didn't stand. "We've to find out how much gap would there be among the elections," he said.
The CEC, however, said the decision would be taken through discussion as to which election comes first and which thereafter.
He said there would not be confusion after the announcement of the election dates. "There would not be problem with the election schedule after declaring the specific dates for elections."
The CEC informed that the Election Commission would meet the Chief Adviser before calling the crucial polls.
Election Commissioners M Sohul Hussain and Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain were present during the talk.