BNP, 9 other parties seek 6 more months
BNP and nine other political parties have sought at least six months' additional time to ratify the provisional changes in their constitutions and submit those to the Election Commission as they cannot complete the task by the July 25 deadline.
On the pleas, Chief Election Commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda yesterday said the EC would ask the government to amend the Representation of the People Order to provide additional time to the parties.
Thirty-eight of the 39 registered political parties brought provisional changes in their constitutions to meet registration criteria before the December 29 parliamentary election, promising to ratify the changes within six months from the first sitting of the ninth parliament.
With the new parliament having begun its journey on January 25, the deadline for the task is set on July 25.
However, none of the parties has so far taken any significant initiative in this regard.
A delegation of the main opposition BNP yesterday met with EC officials and sought another six months' time up to January 25 to complete the entire procedure for holding the party's national council to ratify the provisional changes in its constitution.
Bangladesh Jatiya Party and Islamic Oikya Jote--components of the BNP-led four-party alliance--also sought six months' additional time while others sought six to 10 months' time.
On the time extension pleas, Chief Election Commissioner Huda yesterday told reporters that the EC would review the applications and ask the government to amend the Representation of the People Order to extend the timeframe so that political parties can properly hold their councils to ratify the provisional changes in party constitutions.
In defence of asking for further time, BNP Vice-President MK Anwar, who led the party delegation at the EC talks, said it is not possible for the party to complete elections to over 1.23 lakh committees before holding the national council within the stipulated time.
"We want to ensure that election to each committee--from central to the grassroots level--is held in line with the electoral laws. We do not want to complete the huge task half-heartedly," Anwar told reporters after their meeting with the EC.
He said like some political parties the BNP could also ratify the provisional changes by holding party council hurriedly, but that would not ensure the qualitative changes in the parties as desired in electoral laws.
"So, we asked the commission to extend the timeframe until January 25. And the party will submit a formal application to the commission on Sunday to this effect," he added.
"The commission assured us of considering our demand," Anwar added.
Talking to reporters, CEC Huda said the EC also does not want any party to ratify its constitution half-heartedly.
He said the political parties could not complete the task because of various difficulties.
The seven other parties that have applied to the EC for time extension are Bangladesh Kalyan Party, Tarikat Federation, Bangladesh National Awami Party, National Progressive Party, Jatiya Party (JP), Bangladesh Muslim League, and Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Janata League.
As a new political party the Liberal Democratic Party got registered before the ninth parliamentary polls on the basis of its constitution, which was in line with the criteria for registration.
EC Secretariat officials yesterday said the EC might hold a meeting on July 19 to decide on the issue.
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