‘EC yet to decide on polls schedule deferral’

The Election Commission has not taken any decision yet to defer the date of announcing the schedule for the 11th parliamentary election, EC Secretary Helal Uddin said today.

The EC secretary said this after a meeting of the Jatiya Oikyafront leaders with the chief election commissioner at the EC secretariat in Agargaon area of Dhaka this afternoon.

During the meeting, Jatiya Oikyafront leaders requested the commission not to announce the schedule for the next general election until the outcome of the ongoing dialogue between the prime minister and different political alliances comes.

Jatiya Samagtantrik Dal (JSD) President ASM Abdur Rab said this after emerging from the meeting that began around 3:00pm.

In the meeting, the Oikyafront leaders also placed a plea against the use of the much-debatable device Electronic Voting Machine (EVMs) in the election, he said.

They also demanded deployment of army in the election with magistracy power.

Citing outcome of the meeting, Helal Uddin further said, the issue of deployment of the army with magistracy power will be discussed after the announcement of the polls schedule.      

The commission yesterday said that it would announce the complete election schedule on November 8.

WHY THE DEMAND?

Jatiya Oikyafront is seeking for a second round of talks with the ruling alliance over the upcoming national election likely in December.

They said, the first rounds of talks, held on November 1 with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair, an event widely covered by the media, did not bear much fruit.

Dr Kamal Hossain, top leader of the Oikyafront, called out to the chief election commissioner to hold its meeting to finalise the polls schedule.

The letter also expressed the Oikyafront's readiness to hold further talks with the government, asking the EC to wait until such time.

WHAT ARE OIKYAFRONT’S DEMANDS?

The 11-point goal announced by the alliance includes ensuring checks and balances in the state power, decentralisation of administration, freeing MPs from the stringent restrictions imposed on them under article 70 of the constitution, formation of a constitutional commission to make appointments to all constitutional and other important posts and full independence of the judiciary.

The alliance also announced a seven-point demand, including the one for holding the next parliamentary election under a nonpartisan government, dissolution of parliament before the polls and recasting the Election Commission.