ID :
14372
Wed, 07/30/2008 - 11:53
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/14372
The shortlink copeid
General polls not be delayed for EC, says CEC
DHAKA, Bangladesh, July 30 (BSS) - Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Dr ATM Shamsul Huda today said the general election would not be delayed due to the Election Commission (EC) as it has taken allpreparations to hold the polls by December this year.
He said this while addressing a luncheon meeting titled "Upcoming General Election: Role of the EC in holding free and fair Polls" organized here by the American Chamber of Commerce inBangladesh (AmCham).
Former Adviser to the caretaker government ASM Shahjahan, former CEC Justice Abdur Rouf, Election Commissioners Mohammad Sahul Hossain and Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain, Charge de Affairs of the US embassy in Bangladesh Geeta Pasi, AmCham President Syed Arshad Ahmed, former AmCham President AftabulIslam and Executive Director A Gafur were present.
The CEC said the present Election Commission has undertaken a wide range of measures to reform its laws. It has also carried out internal reforms to hold the election in a free and fairmanner, he said.
"If the administration does not work neutrally and the mindset of the people do not change, then everything will be in vein," he said adding, awareness among the voters is needed firstto this end.
Stressing the need for holding elections regularly for the sake of institutionalizing democracy and the democratic system, Dr. Huda said the present election commission after being constituted on February 5 last year had inquired into the reasons behind the failure of holding the January 22 election and soon started working for holding a free, fair and credible generalelection at the shortest possible time.
The EC has found that absence of a credible voters' list was one of the major reasons for failure of holding a free and fair polls at that time, he said adding that it was not possible atall to hold the polls with the previous voters' list.
The CEC said that the election commission had undertaken the initiative of preparing a voters' list with photographs and fixedan 18-month time for completing it.
With the help of Army, he said, it was possible to prepare a list of eight crore five lakh voters in 11 months, making ahistoric achievement in the national life.
He also said that the EC is conducting all activities as per its roadmap announced on July 15 last year. It was mentioned in the roadmap that besides the national election, local government election would be held and reforms in the laws of election commission and its internal reforms would be carried out, headded.
Dr. Huda said the preparation of voters' list in 300 upazilas was completed so far. The EC hopes that it will be able to hold the election in more than 300 upazilas but it is not possible to hold the national and the upazila polls on the sameday, he said.
The issue of reforms of the electoral laws as per the roadmap is now under process at the concerned department of the government, he said and expressed the hope that it would soon bepublished as a gazette notification.
The CEC said the registration of political parties would start in August after the electoral laws are reformed. The EC has also re-fixed the demarcation of constitutional seats to bringbalance in the number of population within these areas, he added.
On a query, Dr. Huda said with the option of `No' vote in the ballot paper, the electorates would get an opportunity toexpress their opinion.
Besides, he added, the political parties would be cautious tonominate their candidates in future elections.
He said this while addressing a luncheon meeting titled "Upcoming General Election: Role of the EC in holding free and fair Polls" organized here by the American Chamber of Commerce inBangladesh (AmCham).
Former Adviser to the caretaker government ASM Shahjahan, former CEC Justice Abdur Rouf, Election Commissioners Mohammad Sahul Hossain and Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain, Charge de Affairs of the US embassy in Bangladesh Geeta Pasi, AmCham President Syed Arshad Ahmed, former AmCham President AftabulIslam and Executive Director A Gafur were present.
The CEC said the present Election Commission has undertaken a wide range of measures to reform its laws. It has also carried out internal reforms to hold the election in a free and fairmanner, he said.
"If the administration does not work neutrally and the mindset of the people do not change, then everything will be in vein," he said adding, awareness among the voters is needed firstto this end.
Stressing the need for holding elections regularly for the sake of institutionalizing democracy and the democratic system, Dr. Huda said the present election commission after being constituted on February 5 last year had inquired into the reasons behind the failure of holding the January 22 election and soon started working for holding a free, fair and credible generalelection at the shortest possible time.
The EC has found that absence of a credible voters' list was one of the major reasons for failure of holding a free and fair polls at that time, he said adding that it was not possible atall to hold the polls with the previous voters' list.
The CEC said that the election commission had undertaken the initiative of preparing a voters' list with photographs and fixedan 18-month time for completing it.
With the help of Army, he said, it was possible to prepare a list of eight crore five lakh voters in 11 months, making ahistoric achievement in the national life.
He also said that the EC is conducting all activities as per its roadmap announced on July 15 last year. It was mentioned in the roadmap that besides the national election, local government election would be held and reforms in the laws of election commission and its internal reforms would be carried out, headded.
Dr. Huda said the preparation of voters' list in 300 upazilas was completed so far. The EC hopes that it will be able to hold the election in more than 300 upazilas but it is not possible to hold the national and the upazila polls on the sameday, he said.
The issue of reforms of the electoral laws as per the roadmap is now under process at the concerned department of the government, he said and expressed the hope that it would soon bepublished as a gazette notification.
The CEC said the registration of political parties would start in August after the electoral laws are reformed. The EC has also re-fixed the demarcation of constitutional seats to bringbalance in the number of population within these areas, he added.
On a query, Dr. Huda said with the option of `No' vote in the ballot paper, the electorates would get an opportunity toexpress their opinion.
Besides, he added, the political parties would be cautious tonominate their candidates in future elections.
