The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Chief Election Commissioner Dr ATM Shamsul Huda yesterday admitted that the Election Commission has lagged behind in following the election roadmap, as its electoral reforms could not be finalised timely due to the crisis over electoral dialogue with BNP.

"The electoral reforms were scheduled to complete by March (this year) as per the election roadmap that we couldn't. And it can be said that we've slipped at this point only, not in any other points," he told journalists when asked about the delay in finalising the electoral reforms.

A decision on the proposed dialogue with BNP is expected to come on April 10 following the hearing of a writ filed with the High Court.

Detained former Prime Minister and party chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia challenged the EC decision inviting the Saifur-Hafiz BNP faction to the electoral dialogue.

Asked whether the EC is considering any alternative options in case the defeated faction of BNP made an appeal against the verdict, Huda said, "Do I know what'll be the verdict? Let it come first, we'll see then."

The CEC expected that the matter would be resolved on April 10 allowing the EC to quickly complete its pending tasks.

"The government has an expectation of its own and we've ours. The expectations of both of us are supplementary to each other and at the same time independent too," the CEC remarked when journalists said the government hopes that the EC needs to complete its electoral reforms soon.

About the delay in holding city corporation elections, CEC Huda said there is a specific timeline for each of the component of the election roadmap.

"It's being said in the roadmap that the local-body elections will be held from January to October… You're following the starting point, not the cutup point," he said.

"The EC is not lagging behind in following the election roadmap in this regard," the CEC said, adding that they would hold the local-body elections by October next.

Asked if the CEC has any grievance or apprehension as the electoral reforms could not be completed timely, he replied in the negative and said, "What is there to be aggrieved?"

"The fact is we've lagged behind. People feel happy to complete a task timely. We had decided to complete the electoral reforms by March what we couldn't," he said.

About the government's decision on holding dialogue with the political parties this month, much before getting the EC's report on its electoral dialogue, CEC Huda said there is no connection between the government and EC in this regard as the government is doing its job and the EC is theirs. "The government isn't sitting idle with our agenda," he said.

Earlier, the government had declared it would sit with the political parties only after the completion of the electoral dialogue between the EC and political parties.

Besides, CEC Huda said on several occasions that the government is looking forward to the EC's report on its electoral dialogue as there are some different issues came up from its previous dialogue which is beyond the purview of the EC.

He said it is the government that should resolve the matters and the EC could only suggest the government on those.