EC to ask again for lifting politics ban

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The Election Commission (EC) will ask the caretaker government once again for lifting the ban on indoor politics if it sees no sign of withdrawal of the ban by August 30, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda said yesterday.

“Implementation of the electoral roadmap will be hampered if the ban on indoor politics is not lifted for holding dialogue with the political parties from September,” CEC Huda told reporters.

The caretaker government had earlier assured the EC of withdrawal of the ban on indoor politics by August, allowing the commission to hold talks with the parties from early September according to the roadmap, sources in the EC said.

But the government has apparently retreated from its stance on lifting the ban in view of the prevailing situation, they added.

“We will wait till August 30 with the hope that the ban on indoor politics will be no more from early September. If we see no sign for withdrawal of the ban, we will request the government before end of this month to lift the ban. We have no alternative but to ask the government for it [lifting the ban],” Huda said.

In a bid to begin dialogue with the political parties on electoral reforms, the CEC at a meeting with the law adviser on April 4 asked the government to lift the ban on indoor politics, which was imposed on March 7, following the declaration of the state of emergency on January 11.

But the government has not yet responded to the EC’s request, making the EC to wait for about five months to begin the talks with the parties.

Finally, the EC on July 15 announced a detailed polls plan including holding talks with the political parties from September to complete the electoral reforms.

“We have discussed with the government before disclosing the roadmap. The ban on indoor politics must be lifted. We will keep asking the government to lift it,” Huda said.

Two major political parties Awami League and BNP have already declared that they would not sit with the EC unless the ban on indoor politics is lifted, allowing them to hold meetings at their party forum to discuss the EC’s proposals.

As per its official plans, the EC will send letters to the political parties next week inviting them to sit in dialogue with the EC on electoral reforms.

“The political parties will be given two weeks to examine the draft proposals for electoral reforms,” he added.

Asked what if the major political parties like Awami League and BNP seek more time for their preparation to join the dialogue, the CEC said the EC would give a tentative timetable for the parties to sit in dialogue.

In case a political party wants to take more time, it can tell the EC and sit in dialogue at a convenient time, he added.

The EC on April 5 disclosed draft proposals for massive electoral reforms including mandatory provision for registration of the political parties with the EC to ensure their financial transparency and practice of democracy within the parties.

To finalise the proposals, the EC wanted to hold talks with the parties, but it could not proceed with the plans due to the ban on indoor politics. It however held separate meetings with the civil society personalities and senior journalists in April-May to seek their opinion on the proposals.

The EC could not complete the process for electoral reforms by July according to its earlier plan due to the ban on indoor politics.

According to the electoral roadmap announced on July 15, dialogues with the political parties are supposed to be completed during the period from September to November.

The roadmap gives a detailed description of all the work related to the ninth parliament election scheduled to be held in December 2008.

In a bid to start the dialogue from early September, the EC has already directed its secretariat to make preparation for holding the talks.

“We are now examining the draft proposals again to see whether there is any inconsistency as the copy of the proposals will be sent to the political parties,” a senior official at the EC Secretariat said.

“Some 18 to 20 political parties will be invited to join the talks as per the proposed criteria for being registered with the commission,” the official said.

According to the EC’s draft proposals, a political party that had won at least one parliamentary seat in elections since 1973 will be considered fit for registration. To qualify for registration, the organisations not meeting the above condition will have to have offices and committees in at least 32 districts and the upazilas under those. Besides, they must have at least one thousand members at a district unit and 200 members at an upazila.

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