The two parties said as soon as the government lifts the embargo they will hold discussion within their policymaking forums to finalise stance towards the EC's draft proposals for electoral reforms.

There is no way the political parties can assist the EC in carrying out the electoral reforms unless the ban is withdrawn, leaders of the AL and BNP said yesterday.

Earlier on April 4, the EC asked the government to lift the restriction allowing it to sit in dialogue with the political leaders to finalise the electoral reform proposals.

"The government should lift the ban on political activities soon, particularly the indoor ones, to clear the way for discussions with the Election Commission on electoral reforms," AL General Secretary Abdul Jalil told reporters yesterday at his office.

BNP Joint Secretary General Nazrul Islam Khan also said at least the restriction on indoor politics should be lifted so that the political parties can hold discussion on electoral reforms within the parties and with the EC.

"The Election Commission has taken initiatives to implement legal and political reforms but we have nothing to do at this moment since all sorts of political activities are banned," Nazrul told The Daily Star.

The EC has repeatedly said it will not finalise the electoral reform proposals without consulting with the political parties, who are its main clients.

The EC held talks with eminent citizens on April 26 and will hold discussions with editors of different national dailies on April 17. But it is not sure when it can hold talks with the political parties and because of this uncertainty, the task for electoral reforms is unlikely to be completed by the commission's July deadline.

Talking to reporters at his Mercantile Bank office, the AL general secretary said the EC informed them that it will not take any final decision without discussing with the political parties.

"But we cannot give our views to the Election Commission before discussing the issue in our own party forum," Jalil said, adding that the restriction on indoor politics must go to allow the parties to sit with the EC.

On the possibility of any united move with BNP, Jalil said there is no possibility of such simultaneous movement as they had bad experience with BNP in the past.

The BNP joint secretary general said the party wants to sit with the EC on reforms after taking decision in presence of party Chairperson Khaleda Zia.

The party will finalise its proposals on both electoral and political reforms after holding discussion within the party when the ban on indoor politics is withdrawn, Nazrul said, adding that the EC also said discussion with political parties is necessary for the implementation of the expected reforms.