The Election Commission (EC) will announce the schedule of parliamentary elections after holding discussions with major political parties when they unanimously express their wish to take part in the elections, an EC commissioner said on Sunday. “If political parties want, the EC can take an initiative to hold meetings with them (the political parties) to ensure free, fair and inclusive elections,” Md Shah Nawaz, the commissioner, told reporters following the EC secretary’s earlier comments on the issue.
The 10th parliamentary polls are expected to be held anytime between October this year and January next year, Shah Nawaz said, adding, “The national elections would be held within January 24 of next year.” He was talking to journalists at the Election Commission secretariat in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar of the capital on Sunday noon.
In reply to a query, he added, “The possible dates of the elections have not been fixed yet, but the elections will be held between October 27, 2013 and January 24, 2014, as per the Constitution.”
Replying to a question, the EC dismissed Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) spokesperson Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir’s comments that Prime Minster Sheikh Hasina has violated the code of conduct by spending government money for party propaganda in the run-up to the parliamentary polls. “The code becomes applicable only after the elections are formally announced,” Shah Nawaz explained. He said the EC is not concerned with what happens before the polls are announced.
The commissioner said leader of the opposition Khaleda Zia had also asked voters to exercise their franchise in favour of her party. “The EC is not concerned with what happens before the polls are declared,” he iterated.
-With The Independent input
