AL to seek six more months from EC
Awami League yesterday decided to seek six more months' time from the Election Commission (EC) to hold the party's national council to ratify provisional changes made to its constitution for registration with EC.
The decision came at a meeting of the AL presidium, the highest policymaking body of the party, with party president and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
As per the EC timeframe, the deadline for holding the party council is July 25.
"As there is a risk of flood now, it would not be possible to hold the party council within the deadline. So, we have decided to seek six more months' time from EC to hold our council," AL spokesperson Syed Ashraful Islam told reporters after the meeting.
EC had earlier told the party that the time could be extended, if necessary, he said, adding that the party would formally approach to EC in this regard.
Sources said the meeting decided, in principle, to hold the council by December.
Before the ninth parliamentary election, political parties were allowed to be registered with the EC by making interim changes to their charters to meet the registration criteria laid out in the Representation of the People Order (RPO).
But they had to give an undertaking that they would have their amendments approved by the national council within six months after the first sitting of the ninth parliament.
Held at Hasina's political office at Dhanmondi, the presidium meeting also decided that the central committee would form committees in several districts where councils were held but full-fledged committees have not yet been formed.
It also decided to select councillors for the central council from nine districts where the party council had not been held for several years, if it is not possible to hold the councils there by this time.
Ashraf said the meeting also decided to strengthen organisational activities of the party across the country.
The meeting also decided that the government would respond to the letter of Opposition Leader in parliament and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia regarding their plan to send a team to the Tipaimukh dam site and might seek names of two representatives, sources said.
The parliamentary standing committee chairman on water resources, Abdur Razzak, or the ruling party chief whip Abdus Shahid might reply to Khaleda's letter or convey government's decision to the opposition chief whip.
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