The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

In a quick response to the requests of BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, the Election Commission (EC) yesterday extended the deadline for party registration with the Commission by five days.

The EC has extended the timeframe from October 15 to October 20 after discussing various aspects of the registration process, specially the requests made, particularly by the BNP and Jamaat.

According to the amended Representation of People Order (RPO), registration of the political parties is mandatory to participate in the forthcoming elections.

Talking to reporters Chief Election Commissioner Dr ATM Shamsul Huda announced that the time has been extended by five days to October 20 for party registration. "The Commission has extended the time after properly thinking and taking into account all matters," he said hoping that all parties would now be able to apply for getting registered with the Commission.

The CEC noted that the Commission extended the time as some political parties, including BNP, raised their problems and demanded deferment of the deadline for their parties' registration with the Commission.

He said the Commission wants to complete the party-registration process by October 30 after scrutiny of all documents to be submitted by the political parties.

Replying to a question on the demand to withdraw the state of emergency before the polls, Dr Huda wanted to know which clause creates problem to the political parties.

He said the political parties should discuss with and apprise the caretaker government of their problems.

During the scrutiny of documents, the CEC said, the Commission would only examine the constitutions of the established political parties while all the remaining parties would be drastically scrutinised to assess their qualifications. Replying to another question the CEC hoped the proceedings on the writ over the delimitation of the parliamentary constituencies would go in favour of the Commission.

On Sunday, the BNP and the Jamaat sent separate letters to the EC asking it to extend by seven days the time for applying

for party registration. Bangladesh Jatiya Party, another partner of the four-party alliance yesterday also submitted a similar letter to the Commission.

The EC meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Dr ATM Shamsul Huda was attended by the Election Commissioners, Muhammed Sohul Hussain and Brig Gen (Retd) M Shakhawat Hussain.