The Election Commission (EC) will start electoral dialogue with different stakeholders, including political parties and civil society members on September 28 (Sunday) ahead of the national election, said its Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed on Tuesday.
“The dialogue will begin on Sunday (Sept 28). The talks will first be held with civil society representatives and teachers,” he told reporters at Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital.
In the electoral roadmap unveiled last month, the EC said the dialogue with stakeholders, including political parties, civil society members, media persons, observers, election experts and July worriers, would begin in the last week of September and complete the talks within the next one and a half months.
Turning to the amendment to electoral laws, the EC Secretary said the proposed electoral code of conduct and the rules related to electoral symbols have already been vetted and sent back to the Election Commission.
He said the ‘Shapla’ (water lily) symbol is not included in the revised list of electoral symbols. So, the National Citizen Party (NCP) must submit a fresh application to the Commission for an alternative symbol.
“As the ‘Shapla’ symbol is not in the revised list of symbols, NCP cannot get it. They have been asked to apply for an alternative symbol, but the choice must be made from the symbols that are already approved by the Commission,” Akhtar added.