Attention now on poll roadmap: EC may suggest lifting of ban on politics

All attention is now focused on a roadmap towards holding the stalled parliamentary polls as Chief Election Commissioner Dr Shamsul Huda is poised to spell out the commission's detailed plans by July 15.

The EC's blueprint is likely to include various timings for completion of dialogue with political parties, finalization of electoral reforms, voter registration and the ultimate-a tentative time for the polling. Dr Huda, however, will not announce the date of election this time around. But the EC may suggest lifting the ban on political activities to allow its dialogue with the parties on its reform proposals.

Earlier, the CEC made the pledge to a delegation of the European Union Troika that came to Dhaka on June 7 with the Bangladesh elections on its agenda. The EU welcomed Dr Huda's plan to announce the roadmap in mid-July, saying that it would help convince people at home and abroad about the EC's clear stand on holding the elections. The United States, Britain and other development partners and international watchdogs are also keen to see the Commission-laid road to the general election, which was ditched amid a serious political crisis stemming from irreconcilable squabbles by two rival camps over electoral issues. Political analysts say although Dr Huda looks straightforward about his commitment, some of his colleagues' remarks appear to be ambiguous. Election Commissioner Sohul Hossain's July 2 remarks sounded equivocal as he said the Commission would sit with political parties after completion of the process of party reform.

Sohul's comments created doubts among political parties about the fate of the election. Awami League leaders Suranjit Sengupta and Begum Matia Chowdhury came up with a sharp rebuttal saying that it is not for the EC to comment on a matter like leadership of political parties.

Sengupta termed Sohul's remarks "uncalled for" and advised the Commission to refrain from making political remark. Matia said it is not the jurisdiction of the Commission to see what is happening in politics or to political parties.

Another Election Commissioner, Brig (retd) Shakhawat Hossain, said the Commission would discuss with those parties which will comply with conditions of political party registration.

Explaining the conditions, he said the Commission would discuss reform issues with the parties that got at least one parliamentary seat in any general election since independence or secured two percent of the total votes cast in any general elections since 1973. Brig (retd) Shakhawat further cleared that such discussions of course would take place after the ban on indoor politics goes. Law and information Advisor Barrister Mainul Husein had already indicated that the government is contemplating allowing limited politics to facilitate the parties to talk to the Election Commission.

He, however, said the parties would require prior permission from the government to organize meetings or processions. The Advisor stopped short of speaking about the date of allowing limited politics. There are some apprehensions that if restriction on politics was relaxed, it might lead to opening floodgates, leading to some sort of backlash in the political arena. The authorities are also worried over the law-and-order situation in the event of ban being relaxed. So, they are possibly studying the pros and cons of the puzzle. Some analysts presume that the caretaker government is being persuaded by the international community to expedite the process of election, as soon as possible within 2008. Although people in government are trying to say that holding the election is the Election Commission's affair, it remains the fact that the electoral reforms are subtly tied with party reforms. Some believe that the government wants to see the party-reform process complete before laying out the road to election. And the political parties were also under pressure for reshaping themselves through reforms to fit in the changed political paradigm, casting aside the kingpins of the past political era like Khaleda Zia, Sheikh Hasina and HM Ershad by the end of June. As such, major parties like BNP, Awami League and Jatiya Party announced some sort of reform proposals by July 2, encouraging the government to move ahead.

The interim government is also making frantic effort to complete investigations against detained political leaders of BNP and Awami League so they are convicted by the special courts in graft cases and, eventually, debarred from participating in the next elections to create conditions for a fresh start.