The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Candidates would have to quit their party posts if elected as mayor in the coming city- corporation elections, the Chief Election Commissioner said Tuesday CEC Dr ATM Shamsul Huda also said that the voter list preparation is likely to complete by June 2008, implying that the general election could be held much earlier

He made the observations at the EC dialogue with Liberal Democratic Party on electoral reforms, as part of the ongoing series of talks with political parties in the interim period. The CEC expected that making the photo voter list would complete by June 2008, which was scheduled by October 2008, since the task got such a momentum in last one week that around 4 lakh voters are getting registered daily.

"No party post can be held if elected mayor… We've already prepared the law," he stated in reply to an apprehension of LDP leaders that elected mayors would influence the national elections if city corporation elections were held beforehand.

A 12-member LDP delegation led by its chairman Col (retd) Oli Ahmed today (Tuesday) sat with the Election Commission to discuss draft reform proposals on electoral laws as well as dos and don'ts for the political parties.

About delimitating the voter areas CEC Huda said they would complete the task before holding national elections and consult all before finalizing the task since they do not want to create any new controversy.

"We're are ready (for delimitating) at the places where voter list is prepared… But, prior to parliamentary elections, we'll just hold city corporation elections, not Union Parishad or municipality elections," he said.

The EC would hold the city corporation elections just to gain experience of holding election under a new voter list, he noted, adding that parliamentary elections are most important where mistake should not be done and they could not put the national elections in risk.

According to the EC-announced 18-month roadmap towards elections, CEC Huda said registering political party to the EC by June 2008 is a must.

"Because, we're expecting that the voter-listing task will be completed by June… Our estimate was to register around 3 lakh voters per day, but the task got such a momentum in the last one week that daily around 4 lakh voters are getting registered," he said.

The EC calculated that there might be 90 million (9 crore) voters. But, he said, the figure of voters would be much less, around 70 to 70.5 million (7 to 7.5 crore).

"The less number of voters as well as speed of the task will save time," he stated, which indicates election much earlier.

About the LDP demand of announcing a cutup date for national elections, CEC Huda said it has already been said in the election roadmap, that is, completing the voter list by October and holding elections by December 2008.

"Now it seems it'll (election) happen earlier… But we don't want to tell the time at this moment," he said, claiming that the election roadmap didn't yet face any hindrance.

At the dialogue, the LDP delegation demanded of the EC not to register the political parties who, in 1971, did not want Bangladesh and supported Pakistan as well as actively assisted Pakistani army. But, they did not clearly mention the party names.

"They (anti-liberation elements) are still doing politics under the same banner (name used during 1971)… Why they'll be parliament member who didn't want Bangladesh to be born?… You've the power to bar them as per the Constitution and under the Special Powers act," LDP chairman Oli told the EC.

He said still there are apprehensions as to whether the election would be held or not.

"Announce election schedule immediately… The whole nation is suffering from lack of confidence… The confidence will come back if election schedule is announced just now," he told the EC.

About the reason behind the apprehension, Oli, emerging from the dialogue, told reporters that there are such statements coming from such places and personalities that are creating suspicion.

"The Election Commission will tell when the election will be held, not the government… Sometimes it has been saying that the election will be held in June, sometimes in September and sometimes in October, which is creating confusion," he said.

The LDP delegation suggested canceling party registration if it does not acquire at least 3 seats in parliamentary elections, banning public meetings and processions, reserving election symbol, using candidates' photograph instead of symbol in ballot papers, introducing transparent ballot box in elections and determining educational qualifications to contest elections.

They also recommended not keeping the option of 'no vote' in ballot paper, holding national and upazila elections on same day, single poster for all contesting candidates in a constituency, having party office in 25 districts and upazilas, not allowing one candidate to contest in more than two constituencies and ceiling party-registration fee to TK 5,000.