Bangladesh News

The Election Commission (EC) cannot proceed with its plan for holding dialogues with political parties to seek their opinion on several crucial electoral issues as the government has yet to decide about withdrawal of the embargo on indoor politics.
The EC has however planned to start dialogues with the civil society groups at the end of this month for their opinion on the proposed electoral reforms and time limit for simultaneously preparing the voter list with photographs and national identity cards.

“We will sit with the civil society groups in the third or fourth week of this month. We will sit with the political parties as soon as the embargo on indoor politics is withdrawn,” Election Commissioner Sahul Hossain told reporters at his office yesterday.

“But the government has not said anything about withdrawal of the embargo on indoor politics. We would wait for the government decision,” he added.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda at a meeting with the law adviser on last Wednesday asked the caretaker government to withdraw the embargo on indoor politics so that the EC can hold dialogues with the political parties.

“We are ready to start dialogues with political parties and civil society bodies as soon as the government withdraws the embargo on indoor politics,” the CEC said after making the proposal to the government.

On March 7, the government imposed the embargo in addition to the restriction on political activities following the proclamation of emergency on January 11.

At the planned dialogue this month, the EC will seek opinion from the civil society groups on the time limit for the implementation of the voter list project.

The CEC on Thursday disclosed a set of electoral reform proposals and said no elections would be held in next 18 months that is the ‘minimum time’ required to implement the voter list project.

Civil society personalities and politicians have welcomed the electoral reforms proposals but they suggested reducing the time limit for implementing the voter list scheme.

The time limit was fixed considering all aspects to implement the project, Election Commissioner Sahul Hossain said.

He however said they are ready to consider any practical proposal for completing the task in a shorter time.