Bangladesh News

In view of the ongoing political activities, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda yesterday said there should be clear guidelines about which activities are within or outside the purview of the ban on indoor politics.

About the ongoing task for preparing the voter list with photographs for holding the next parliamentary polls, the CEC said, “We want to complete the task as soon as possible…We want to see an elected government as soon as possible.”

A leader has been doing teleconference, the CEC said making an oblique reference to BNP Chairperson and former prime minister Khaleda Zia.

Senior leaders of other parties are holding meetings at their drawing rooms and making statements regularly, which are being published in the mass media, the CEC said in a press briefing at the EC Secretariat.

“So, what do they [government] mean by indoor politics? There should be guidelines specifying which activities can be done in the context of the ban on indoor politics and whether the ban is lifted or relaxed. Then we can understand what indoor politics is,” Huda said.

Since April 4, he has been asking the government to lift the ban on indoor politics allowing the EC to hold talks with the political parties on electoral reforms.

The EC could not proceed with its plan for holding dialogues with the political parties due to the ban on indoor politics. The government imposed a ban on indoor politics on March 7 following the declaration of the state of emergency on January 11 that had banned all sorts of outdoor political activities.

Finally, the EC on last Tuesday announced that it would begin talks with 15 select political parties from September 12 following an assurance from the government that an environment conducive to talks will be created.

“We hope, we will get a decision regarding the ban on indoor politics well before the beginning of the talks,” the CEC said yesterday.

He said the EC has sent an invitation and a copy of the draft proposals for electoral reforms to the Islami Oikya Jote, which will sit in dialogue with the EC on September 12.

“Even leaders of several political parties have told me that they would join the talks amid the ban on indoor politics,” he said without disclosing identity of the leaders.

When his attention was drawn to the stance of two major political parties, Awami League and BNP, that said they would not join the talks until the ban on indoor politics is lifted, the CEC said he hopes a solution would hopefully come.

Echoing the view of the CEC, another election commissioner, Muhammed Sohul Hussain, said the government, of course, will open a window allowing the EC to hold talks with the political parties.

Asked when the invitation and copies of draft proposals for reforms will be sent to other political parties, Huda said the EC would send those in phases.

VOTER LIST

The CEC yesterday said the EC will begin the field level task for preparing the voter list with photographs in 10 municipalities, three city corporations and several unions under 20 upazilas between September and November.

According to the EC’s plans, the field level task in Chittagong City Corporation will begin on October 22, in Barisal City Corporation on October 4 and Sylhet City Corporation on October 4.

“The field level task for voter listing was supposed to begin on a large-scale from November, according to the electoral roadmap. We have already received laptops and other accessories from different organisations to expedite the tasks,” Huda said.

Now, the EC has a total of 1800 laptops and other accessories for doing the voter listing, and purchase of 6,000 laptops and other accessories will be completed soon, he said.

The CEC informed that President Iajuddin Ahmed will visit Savar municipality area on September 5 to watch the field level activities for simultaneously preparing the voter list with photographs and national identity cards.

According to the EC’s electoral roadmap, the task for voter listing will be completed in October 2008 while the stalled ninth parliamentary election will be held in December that year.