Staff Reporter :
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda said the decision on deferment of election schedule will be announced today.
His remarks came on Sunday evening following repeated calls from different political alliances for deferring the earlier announced schedule for holding 11th Parliamentary election by giving sufficient time to candidates for taking preparations.
“We will take decision on deferring polls schedule tomorrow,” Nurul Huda told reporters in his office.
Reporters sought his comment over the poll schedule deferment after written demand placed to EC by newly formed Jatiya Oikyfront, Juktofront and BNP.
In the schedule announced by CEC on November 8, the 11th Parliamentary election date was fixed on December 23. The last dates of submission of nomination paper is November 19, scrutiny on November 22 and withdrawal of candidature on November 29.
When attention drawn to the demands of BNP, Oikyfront and Juktafront, the CEC said he was not aware of the demands.
He said that he was not also aware of ruling Awami League’s opinion of ‘no objection if schedule defers.’
“EC wants participation of each of the political party in the national polls. But I cannot say anything right now,” he said, adding “I don’t have any talks with anyone till now.”
On Sunday, Oikyfront and BNP jointly sent a letter to the EC demanding deferment of election schedule arguing that political parties could not have sufficient time for taking preparations in the elections under the current schedule.
Juktafront led by Bikalpadhara President AQM B. Chowdhury also sent a letter to the EC on Sunday demanding deferment of election date from December 23 to December 30.
President of Communist Party of Bangladesh Mujahidul Islam Selim also demanded the same.
Meanwhile, former Election Commissioner Brigadier (Rtd) M Sakhawat Hossain said that deferment of election schedule would not be illegal.
M Sakhawat Hossain served as Election Commissioner in 2008 for holding of the 9th Parliamentary polls.
“At that time, we deferred election schedule twice,” he said, adding that the EC can take initiative in this regard.
