The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

With the approval of the Voter Roll Rules-2008 yesterday the voter listing rules have got legal cover from the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs as part of the preparation for the next general elections.

"Gazette of the rules will be notified within a day or two," said Election Commissioner Brig Gen (Retd) M Sakhawat Hussain while talking to journalists after emerging from a meeting with Adviser for Law Hassan Ariff on the rules.

The Commissioner, however, said it had not been legal to publish the draft voter lists until the rules were finalised.

The rules on voter listing rules for 2008 were approved in the meeting six months after an ordinance on voter listing was signed into law. Another Election Commissioner Sohul Hussain also attended the meeting.

Sakhawat Hussain said it was urgent to get the rules before holding the city corporation and municipality elections.

We have to appoint revising authority for voter list, publishing the draft, displaying those at concerned places, correcting and so on, he said.

About holding the meeting breaking the protocol, he said, "We went there willingly so the task of the rules gets momentum and brought the rules ourselves." He also reminded that they are passing through a significant period of state functioning where they could not sit idle if they want any of their tasks to be completed speedily.

Replying to a question, Sakhawat Hussain said that four crore voters had so far been registered throughout the country.