The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Awami League (AL) during the talks with the Election Commission (EC) yesterday demanded complete lifting of state of the emergency, deferment of the upazila polls, ensuring neutral observers for the national polls, renouncement of the provision of canceling candidature for mistake after finalisation the nominations.

The AL leaders also strongly called for allowing the party to retain its front organisations as 'associate organisations'

Responding the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda opined that associate organisations can be retained but can not be mentioned in party constitution".

During the meeting the CEC said that the EC would announce the schedule for the ninth parliamentary elections on November 1or 2.

AL delegates led by presidium member Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury arrived at the EC Secretariat at around 11:30 am to discuss with the CEC and other commissioners some crucial issues, which include new electoral laws, amendments to the Representation of the People Order (RPO) and registration of political parties.

Meanwhile, the party collected form for registration with the EC within the timeframe under the recently amended RPO that makes it mandatory for the political parties.

AL Office secretary Abdul Mannan and deputy office secretary BM Mozammel Haque collected the registration form on behalf of the party from EC deputy secretary Jasmine Tuli, following the bilateral meeting between AL and EC.

Coming out from the meeting, AL presidium member Tofail Ahmed said, "We have attended the talks to learn about the EC's latest position on amending the electoral laws. We have come today to urge the EC to bring about changes in some clauses of the election laws."

Chief Election Commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda said they explained to the AL delegates about the latest changes effected to electoral laws.

Other AL delegates were Acting General secretary Syed Ashraful Islam, Presidium member Abdur Razzak, Matia Chowdhury, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim and AL election coordination committee chief HT Imam. The EC delegation included Commissioners Muhammad Sohul Hossain, Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain, Secretary Muhammad Humayun Kabir, Joint Secretary (law) NI Khan, and Deputy Secretary Jasmine Tully.

According to the EC sources, a total of 127 political parties have so far collected the registration form from the commission and eight of them already applied to date in order to be eligible to contest the national election set for December 18.