Aziz wants to announce polls schedule Nov 25

Trackback URL

Download PDF

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) MA Aziz remains nonchalant about the growing crisis in the political arena centring demands for his immediate resignation and is preparing to declare the schedules for the next general elections.

“The election schedules will be declared by November 25,” Aziz told reporters while leaving his office yesterday afternoon. He, however, repeatedly declined earlier to talk to reporters who tried to communicate him through his personal secretary.

Aziz declined to answer any further questions regarding the next parliamentary elections and left the EC premises amid tight security.

Meanwhile, the 14-party alliance led by Awami League (AL) also remains rigid on its stance against participating in the polls under the present Aziz-led Election Commission (EC).

In the wake of prevailing situation, the other election commissioners and officials at the EC Secretariat have become frustrated as the preparatory work is not going on smoothly.

Although the secretariat has been carrying out some routine work, it is not adequate to conduct the polls in early January, they said.

Aziz, who attended office yesterday morning amid the AL-led 14-party’s blockade programme demanding his resignation, held a meeting with three other election commissioners.

Sources close to Aziz said he is still indifferent about the growing volatile political situation. He did not discuss the latest political situation at the EC meeting and other election commissioners also did not raise the issue, sources added.

Officials in the EC Secretariat also said Aziz remains silent if any one informs him of the deteriorating political situation.

In the afternoon, a delegation of International Republican Institute (IRI) met the CEC and the election commissioners and discussed the preparatory work for holding the next parliamentary election.

IRI team leader John Anelli told reporters after the meeting that the CEC has expressed his optimism for holding the next election peacefully and with the participation of all political parties.

The IRI team hoped that major political parties will be able to reach a consensus on resolving the prevailing political crisis.

A number of officials of the EC Secretariat also met the CEC yesterday for official business.

Leave a Reply