CEC says election schedule to be announced ‘in due time’, stresses key role of government

An operational plan has already been made, but it’s for internal use, he says

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin has said the timeline for the general election will be announced at the appropriate time, emphasising that holding the polls will not be possible without the government's active support.

On Saturday, he said the Election Commission (EC) will need the cooperation of law-enforcing agencies, government, and the civil administration as well.

“No matter how independent you claim to be, it’s not possible to hold an election without the government,” the CEC said after at the Election Training Institute in Dhaka’s Agargaon.

“The government will play a central role if there is to be an election -- it’s simply not possible without it,” he said.

Nasir Uddin also noted that while the EC is not in constant communication with the government, contact is being maintained both formally and informally.

“We’ll announce the schedule in due time and you’ll know the date then,” he said in response to questions about the timeline.

“There are various channels of communication, and we are involved in many of the government’s reform and administrative activities. Everything will be clear in time.”

Asked whether the commission had prepared an election roadmap, he replied: “You’ll learn everything when the time comes. We’re not hiding anything. We do have an operational plan -- though I wouldn’t call it a roadmap.

“There’s a schedule outlining when to start and complete certain tasks. Some may call it a roadmap, others a work plan. It’s meant for internal use, not for public sharing. It may be adjusted if necessary and has been in place since we took office.”

Earlier, while inaugurating a training workshop for election officials, the CEC said the commission is working on finalising the code of conduct for the upcoming parliamentary election, incorporating feedback from various stakeholders.

Highlighting the importance of training for election management, he added: “Field-level officers have valuable experience. If any worthwhile ideas emerge from discussions, we will consider them.”

Nasir Uddin also announced that the EC is working on establishing regional election training institutes to expand its training activities.