The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The Election Commission will not go to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court to contest the High Court order that stayed the Commission's invitation to the reformist faction of BNP to join dialogue on electoral reform of November 22.

Disclosing this yesterday, Election Commissioner Sohul Hussain said they would appeal to the court to resolve the issue within four weeks.

"The Election Commission is not appealing against the High Court's stay order. The Court goes into vacation from December 13. We want to appoint a lawyer and urge the court to resolve the matter within four weeks," he told journalists at his office.

Sohul said, "We will face serious problems if the dialogue is not completed within the stipulated time."

"We don't want to favour any faction. We considered one of the BNP factions legitimate and invited it to the dialogue. It is good that the matter went to the court. We will obey the High Court judgment," he added.

He said the lawyer appointed by the Election Commission would reply to the show-cause notice issued by the High Court.

"We have talked to the Attorney General about it," he said.

Imprisoned BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia moved the High Court on November 18 and court stayed for two weeks the effectiveness of the invitation to Acting BNP Secretary General Major (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed, a reformist, who was appointed by the party Standing Committee.

The court also asked the Election Commission (EC) to explain why the invitation would not be declared illegal.

The EC invited all political parties to sit together to discuss the draft electoral laws, but most of the parties refused to sit with the Jamaat-e Islami.

On the Commission's initiative on the matter, Sohul said, "We will have to have discussions excluding Jamaat-e-Islami. But we will need their opinions too. We cannot leave out such a big party."

The Election Commission is scheduled to hold talks on electoral reform with the Bikalpa Dhara today.