The preparation will continue regardless of storm or flood or any other natural disasters, he said.

"The preparation for election cannot be delayed under any excuse," the CEC said apparently in a bid to dispel growing doubts over the completion of voter listing on time, as the Election Commission (EC) could not officially kick off the field level task for preparing a fresh voter list with photographs on schedule.

Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed, who was scheduled to formally inaugurate the task in Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) area on last Sunday, changed his mind on Wednesday, as 'his government's main priority is now to tackle the prevailing flood situation'.

Referring to the EC's roadmap announced on July 15, the CEC said the stalled ninth parliamentary election would definitely be held in December 2008 and elections to different local government bodies would be held by this time.

"There is no scope for deviating from the roadmap," CEC Huda said inaugurating a two-day training programme for district election officers, who will later train about three lakh enumerators and supervisors for simultaneously preparing the voter list with photographs and national identity cards by using high technology.

In its roadmap, the EC announced that the task of preparing the voter list would be completed in October 2008. "October 2008 is the latest for having the voter list ready. We want to complete the entire task before the deadline," said Huda, who was appointed as CEC on February 4, and announced an 18-month timeframe on April 5 for completing the preparation for holding the parliamentary polls.

"Everybody will have to pledge to do the task properly for holding a free and fair parliamentary election," said the chief election official.

Huda said the district election officers, who are working as registration officers for preparation of the voter list, have to ensure the quality and efficiency of enumerators and supervisors while recruiting them.

"The enumerators and supervisors engaged other people to get their job done in the past. You will have to be careful so that none can repeat the previous wrongdoing," the CEC told the field level election officials.

"Image of the Election Commission was tarnished in the past. But now the commission will not allow any wrongdoing. Nobody will be allowed to favour any particular political parties," he said in a tone of warning to the field level election officials.

Nobody will get promotion on the basis of seniority alone, the CEC said, adding that field level officials will be promoted considering their efficiency and performance.

Referring to the proposed electoral rolls ordinance 2007, which is now underway, the CEC said from now, an eligible person will have to enroll his or her name in the voter list in his working area. "If he or she does not want to register as voter in his place of work, he or she will have to apply to the Election Commission and the commission will decide the matter," he added.

Election commissioners Muhammed Sohul Hussain and Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain also spoke at the inaugural session of the training programme at Electoral Training Institute in the capital.