Amid a row between the ruling and opposition parties over the polls-time government, the Chief Election Commissioner has said schedule for the voting would be announced ‘very soon’.
Published : 24 Nov 2013, 08:25 PM
Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad told reporters on Sunday that the commission was yet to make a decision on the election schedule. “You will know it soon.”
The commission did not hold a meeting scheduled for Sunday to finalise the schedule.
The CEC did not specify time for that meeting.
“I cannot say (when the meeting will be held). It could be tomorrow (Monday) or day after tomorrow (Tuesday),” he said replying to questions of reporters at the EC Secretariat.
He was asked if the hope for a compromise between the ruling and opposition parties was delaying a decision on polls schedule.
Ahmad replied: “The whole country is waiting for a compromise. Shouldn’t we help the people to hold a fair and peaceful election?”
He, however, said the commission had a ‘cutoff time’ for announcing the schedule and it would be done within that deadline.
Earlier on Friday, Election Commissioner Md Shah Nawaz told reporters at Chandpur that the schedule would be announced by Monday.
Election code's gazette published
The amended gazette notification of the Electoral Code of Conduct has been issued.
Candidates of the upcoming national election will have to abide by this code while campaigning.
It defined the Prime Minister, Speaker and Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Leader of the Opposition, deputy leaders of the House, Whips, ministers, state ministers and others on that accord, MPs and city corporation mayors as ' VIPs enjoying government facilities'.
The functionaries are not allowed to approve any projects or lay foundation stones and plaques. They have been also forbidden from election campaigns which coincide with government programmes.
The amended code has defined the period between announcement of the poll schedule and publication of gazette notification of the election results as the 'Pre-election period'.
Provisions of six months in jail or a maximum fine of Tk 50,000 and annulment of an individual's candidacy as the maximum penalty for violators have been retained in the amended code of conduct.
EC busy all day long
The CEC, the four Election Commissioners and the commission Secretary arrived at the EC Secretariat in the morning.
The EC officials have completed preparations for announcement of the schedule. They have drafted a circular which would make the deputy commissioners of the districts and upazila executive officers returning officers and assistant returning officers respectively.
Draft of the CEC’s speech to the nation has also been finalised.
The commission sat in an informal meeting in the afternoon where the draft of CEC’s speech was reviewed. The commissioners left office at around 5:30pm.
The draft speech has mentioned Jan 5 as the voting day, Dec 6 as the last day for submission of nomination papers, Dec 8 and 9 as the days for scrutiny and Dec 18 deadline for withdrawal of candidature.
Only two months are left before the constitutional deadline of the election.