Bangladesh is going to polls on Dec 30, 2018 to elect the members of parliament.
EC renews stance on talks outcome as Oikya Front wants it to defer election roadmap
The Election Commission has reiterated that it is waiting for the outcome of the talks between the ruling coalition and other political groups before it announces the schedule of the parliamentary elections.
Published : 5 Nov 2018, 04:27 PM
Updated : 5 Nov 2018, 04:27 PM
It is now looking forward to the results of the second round of dialogue between Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina and the Jatiya Oikya Front led by Dr Kamal Hossain on Wednesday.
“The results of the Nov 7 dialogue may be reflected in the Nov 8 EC meeting,” EC Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed said after the Oikya Front leader met Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda on Monday.
The EC earlier said it would announce the schedule on Nov 8. The crucial pre-election dialogues between the ruling Awami League-led coalition and other parties are ending on Nov 7.
“They (Oikya Front) leaders asked us to keep an eye on their talks with the prime minister,” Helal said.
Asked if the schedule would be deferred as demanded by the Oikya Front, the secretary said, “Nothing has been decided as yet. The meeting on this issue will be held at 10am on Nov 8. Everything will be discussed there.”
“We are ready to hold the polls in December,” he said.
Oikya Front spokesperson Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-JSD President ASM Abdur Rab, BNP leader Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Nagorik Oikya Convenor Mahmudur Rahman Manna, the Jatiya Oikya Prokriya’s Sultan Mohammad Mansur, Gono Forum’s Mokabbir Khan and BNP-leaning activist Zafrullah Chowdhury, among others, were in the alliance’s delegation that met the CEC and other commissioners.
Dr Kamal could not come due to illness, Rab said.
The EC assured the Oikya Front of fulfilling some of their demands, the JSD president said.
It said it would consider the alliance’s other demands, like deferment of the schedule, deployment of the army during polls and no use of electronic voting machines or EVMs.
“It’s not that they must announce the schedule on that day (Nov 8). They have until Jan 28 (to hold the polls),” he said.
He also said the EC was yet to make final decision on the army mobilisation and EVMs.
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