The New Nation - Internet Edition

Bdnews24.com, Dhaka

The Election Commission has said it will respond positively to calls for extending the deadline for party registration, but cannot give any concessions over re-demarcation of constituencies and recent alterations to the new Representation of the People Ordinance.

The EC does not have any time in hand for major reversals before announcement of the election schedule by Nov 2, the top election officials told bdnews24.com yesterday

Chief election commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda and commissioners Muhammed Sohul Hussain and M Sakhawat Hussain spoke to bdnews24.com on the EC's latest position on the continued demands of political parties.

"The EC does not have any plan yet to extend the deadline for registration of political parties. However, if it gets any 'written proposal' in this regard it may be taken into consideration," Huda told bdnews24.com Saturday afternoon.

Earlier on Saturday, BNP secretary general Khandker Delwar Hossain told reporters: "The four-party alliance will take a decision regarding registration after the scheduled dialogue with the government."

"Later we will send a formal proposal asking the EC to extend the deadline for registration of political parties."

On any specific request by BNP, the CEC said:

"There is yet some time before the October 15 deadline passes. However, if any written proposal comes explaining why the deadline has to be extended and what the problems are then it would be considered."

Commissioner Sakhawat Hussain told bdnews24.com: "BNP's dialogue with the government is on October 14. They can still apply for registration after that."

"Besides, there is no direct relation between the dialogue with the government and registration with the EC. We hope, they will complete registration in time."

The time for submitting registration applications was set from Aug 26 to Oct 15. After scrutiny, the EC will give parties a registration certificate by Oct 30.

Awami League also has some demands and announced on Saturday that it had decided to keep "all the associate organisations" and overseas units of the party.

The party's demands also include scrapping of two clauses of the new RPO-that gave the EC powers to cancel candidature and declare utility bill defaulters unfit-and the forthcoming national elections to be held under the previous demarcation of constituencies.

"Many leaders and workers still do not know in which parliamentary constituency they belong. So for the sake of fair election national polls have to be held keeping the former boundary intact," the party's acting general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam said Saturday.

On demarcation of constituencies, the CEC said: "The gazette in this regard has already been published. However, a writ petition challenging the new demarcation is being heard in the High Court. The whole matter is now sub-judice."

Commissioner Sohul Hussain said the court verdict is expected anytime this month. "The election schedule will be announced based on that. The demarcation has to be completed before announcement of the schedule."

Expressing the hope that the election would be held according to new demarcations, he added: "There is no more scope to hold elections according to earlier electoral boundaries."

The Election Commission gazetted the redrawn boundaries of 133 out of 300 parliamnetary constituencies on July 10.