Friday, August 3rd, 2007The Election Commission (EC) cannot officially kick off the field level task for preparing a fresh voter list with photographs on schedule as the chief adviser (CA) has declined to inaugurate the launching of the task on next Sunday. CA Fakhruddin Ahmed, who was scheduled to formally inaugurate the beginning of the task in Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) area, changed his mind on Wednesday, as 'his government's main priority is now to tackle the prevailing flood situation.'On receiving the information, the EC at an emergency meeting on Wednesday afternoon discussed the issue, but could not fix a new date ...
(read more) Thursday, August 2nd, 2007The Election Commission (EC) has asked the government to repeal the existing Electoral Rolls Ordinance to dispel fears of legal controversy over the voter listing and proposed for making a new law to prepare a fresh voter list with photographs.In a sudden move, the EC sent a draft to the government on Tuesday for enacting a new law, retreating from its earlier stance on amending the Electoral Rolls Ordinance 1982, sources said.In the draft law, the EC also suggested introduction of a tough provision for punishment against creating any obstacle to the preparation of the voter roll, which will ...
(read more) Wednesday, August 1st, 2007The Election Commission (EC) has started the field level task for preparing a fresh voter list with photographs in Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) area without amending the existing electoral rolls ordinance, which does not allow such a move. Directed by the EC, the local election office on July 29 started sending its enumerators on door-to-door visits in the city corporation area to collect particulars of prospective voters with prescribed forms for preparing the voter list with photographs.Talking to The Daily Star yesterday, legal experts termed the step 'unlawful' and asked the EC not to continue the task before amending Electoral ...
(read more) Sunday, July 15th, 2007Nilufa is married to Montazuddin, but on the new National Identity (NID) card, her husband's name is Mostafauddin. On receiving her NID, Nilufar went rushing to the office of local municipality to rectify the error. Abu Taher has been shown as a married woman in his NID and his husband's name is Shafia Khatun! Taher had the error corrected by visiting the municipality.Like Nilufar and Taher, many other residents of Sreepur municipality are crowding the municipality office to correct numerous errors on their NIDs, which were prepared along with an electoral roll containing the voters' photographs under a pilot ...
(read more) Tuesday, July 3rd, 2007The Election Commission (EC) will not sit in dialogue with any political parties on its proposed electoral reforms until the much-talked intra-party reforms are completed, Election Commissioner Muhammed Sohul Hussain said yesterday. The EC that was eager to talk with the political parties even amid the ban on indoor politics, has now taken a stance of waiting for completion of reforms within the parties."Reforms within the political parties are to be completed first. If we invite a political party before the reforms are done, who will represent the party?" Election Commissioner Muhammed Sohul Hussain told reporters."If we hold ...
(read more) Thursday, June 28th, 2007Political parties can sit for dialogue with the Election Commission (EC) on its proposed electoral reforms despite the ban on political activities, an election commissioner said yesterday. "Political parties will have to send their nominated representatives to hold discussion with us. We will not invite any parties to sit with the commission to discuss the proposed electoral reforms until the embargo on indoor politics is lifted, " Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) Sakhawat Hossain told journalists at his office.The EC will sit with the Jatiya Party (Nilu) today as the party had earlier sought a schedule for discussion on ...
(read more) Monday, June 18th, 2007The Election Commission (EC) yesterday drafted a new proposal to curtail the absolute power of political parties' parliamentary boards to nominate party candidates for parliamentary election in a bid to stop reported unbridled nomination business. According to the proposal, members of the local unit of a registered political party will primarily elect through secret ballots two or more tentative candidates for each parliamentary area and the party's central parliamentary board will choose from the list a candidate for the constituency.Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) Sakhawat Hossain revealed this while talking to reporters at his office yesterday.At present, the political parties' ...
(read more) Tuesday, June 12th, 2007The Election Commission (EC) has made a move to impose a ban on receiving funds from foreign sources to run political parties or their election campaigns."No political party shall receive any donation or funding from any foreign country or organisation or a person who is not of Bangladesh origin," the EC said in its draft proposal. The proposal was recently drafted as part of its ongoing initiative for electoral reforms to ensure financial transparency in the activities of political parties.Major political parties including Awami League, BNP, Jatiya Party and Jamaat-e-Islami have reportedly been collecting funds from foreign sources for ...
(read more) Monday, June 11th, 2007The Election Commission's (EC) pilot project to gather field level experience of preparing simultaneously a voter list with photographs and national identity cards began in Sreepur municipality of Gazipur yesterday. The incessant rain throughout the day could not dampen the locals' enthusiasm as many showed up at the registration centres to be listed as voters.On the opening day, 1,288 people were registered as voters. They welcomed the commission's move as they believe an electoral roll with photographs would better protect their right to vote.Addressing the inauguration ceremony on the Sreepur Pilot High School premises, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM ...
(read more) Thursday, June 7th, 2007Political parties will not be allowed to have overseas units if they intend to be registered with the Election Commission.Election Commissioner Sahul Hossain yesterday said, "We have decided to add a new condition to the draft proposal of the political party registration system, under which a political party intending to register [with the EC] will not be allowed to have any organisational branch overseas."The commission has decided to adopt this precondition for upholding the country's image and the preservation of harmony among the expatriates, Sahul said referring to party rivalries among the overseas branches of the country's major political ...
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