Awami League's election fate unclear until poll schedule, says CEC Nasir

He says the upcoming national election will not use electronic voting machines, or EVMs

Whether the ousted Awami League will be able to participate in the upcoming 13th parliamentary elections remains uncertain as Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin has urged everyone to wait until the election schedule is announced.

“You are asking about a specific party. Our responsibility is to organise a fair election among the parties registered at the time of the schedule announcement. Let’s wait and see who remains registered by then,” CEC Nasir told reporters during a voter list update and discussion event about the upcoming parliamentary elections at Sylhet Circuit House on Saturday.

Clarifying media reports about simultaneous local government elections, Nasir said: “Some are recommending holding all local government elections on a single day, but we have examined it and found it impractical. It’s not a feasible suggestion.”

He elaborated: “Local government elections encompass five levels: city corporation, municipality, Upazila, district, and union council. We have 12 city corporations, 330 municipalities, 61 districts (excluding three hill districts), 495 Upazilas, and 4,595 union councils. Conducting all these elections in a single day is neither practical nor acceptable.”

Addressing suggestions to hold local government elections on the same day as national elections, Nasir remarked: “This, too, is impractical. While it may seem theoretically sound, it’s not feasible in practice.”

Nasir also said he would not comment on the timing of local government elections at the moment.

In his Victory Day speech, Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus indicated that the timing of the next elections would depend on political consensus and necessary reforms, potentially within one to one-and-a-half years.

Nasir reiterated that the Election Commission is working based on the timeframe mentioned by the chief advisor.

He also confirmed that the upcoming national election would not use electronic voting machines, or EVMs.

“There is no plan to conduct the next national election using EVMs,” said Nasir.

On the issue of reforms, he added: “We are waiting for the report from the Electoral Reform Commission. Once we have their recommendations, we will review them and make a decision.”

Responding to a question about expatriates' voting rights, Nasir said: “Yes, they will be able to vote, In Sha Allah [God willing]. We are working seriously to bring expatriates under the election framework. Although it may not be possible to include all in the first year, we aim to start the process.”