EC moves ahead with December Deadline for nat’l polls

Staff Reporter :

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin stated on Sunday that the Election Commission (EC) is moving forward based on two deadlines set by the interim government for the national elections.

“The interim government has set two deadlines for the election: either by December this year or by June next year, if there are major reforms,” he explained during a meeting with district administration officials in Cox’s Bazar.

Meanwhile, Election Commissioner Md Anwarul Islam Sarker mentioned that the election schedule will be announced with the December deadline in mind.

Accordingly, the EC will begin full-scale preparations in July or August of this year, he said, speaking to journalists at Nirbachan Bhaban on Sunday.

Nasir expressed hope that the final voter list for the upcoming national elections will be available by June this year.

He emphasized that the EC aims to conduct a free, fair, and impartial election, one that is credible and internationally accepted, similar to the elections held in 1991, 1996, and 2001.

He called for the involvement and cooperation of all parties in this regard.

In response to a question about whether local government elections or the national election would be held first, Nasir remarked that it is a matter of debate among political parties and that the Election Commission does not wish to participate in that discussion.

“For now, the primary focus of the Election Commission is to prepare an accurate voter list. There are 1.6 million deceased voters, who must be removed,” said the CEC.

He assured that the EC would not face any undue pressure nor make unfair decisions, reaffirming that the Commission places its trust in those assigned to perform impartial election duties under the current administration.

Nasir also instructed those responsible for election duties to act in accordance with the law, offering full support to ensure a smooth process.

Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Salahuddin chaired the meeting, which was attended by the police superintendent of Cox’s Bazar and election officials from the Chattogram region, among others.

Anwarul further stated, “If the election is to be held in December, the Commission will announce the schedule at an appropriate time, taking all necessary factors into consideration.”

“The Election Commission operates independently and will not be swayed by anyone’s interests. We are under no pressure and will not succumb to any influence,” he added.

“We will announce the schedule at an appropriate time and work towards organising the election as swiftly as possible.

“Regarding local and national elections, Anwarul clarified, “We are working with December as the target.

If the government wishes, local elections-including municipal, city corporation, district council, and union council elections-could be held simultaneously.

However, no final decision on this matter has been made by the Commission yet.”

Typically, the election schedule is announced 45 to 55 days before the polling date.