EC to initiate talks with political parties for nat’l polls
Staff Reporter:
The Election Commission (EC) is set to begin talks with registered political parties on 13 November as part of preparations for the upcoming national parliamentary elections.
However, the Commission has yet to make a decision regarding the participation of the Jatiya Party in the dialogue, as confirmed by EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed on Tuesday.
Speaking during the regular briefing at Agargaon, Secretary Akhtar stated, “We will begin the discussions on Thursday, and these will primarily involve the registered parties. We have not yet finalised the list of invitees for the first meeting on 13 November. Please give us some time to release the list.”
Regarding the participation of the Jatiya Party, the Secretary added, “No decision has been made yet. If there were a decision, we would have informed you. Since we haven’t disclosed anything, it means no decision has been taken. We are not hiding anything, and once a decision is made, we will inform you.”
Akhtar expressed hope that political parties would respond positively to the dialogue and that mutual cooperation would create a path for a free and fair election.
The discussions are expected to focus on amendments to the Representation of the People Order (RPO) and the electoral code of conduct.
The EC also aims to hear the views of the political parties, urging them to respect the code and cooperate in upholding the law.
Earlier the Election Commission outlined several significant changes to the code of conduct, including restrictions on the use of microphones at rallies, a ban on posters, and the prohibition of plastic materials.
Digital display boards will be allowed, but permanent structures that block public space are prohibited.
Candidates and parties will also be required to sign a written commitment to comply with the code of conduct.
In response to a recent court ruling that cancelled three parliamentary seats in Bagerhat and reinstated four others, the Secretary stated that the EC had not yet received the certified copy of the court’s judgment.
The Commission will decide whether to appeal or accept the verdict once it reviews the court’s observations. Akhtar also confirmed that there are about 30 boundary-related cases still pending and that new notices continue to be received.
Regarding the law and order situation, he mentioned that preparations are underway and further meetings will be held to review progress.
While admitting some delay in the observer registration process and political party dialogues, the Secretary assured that both tasks would be completed by the end of the month.
The EC has also issued a new electoral conduct guideline prohibiting the use of posters and drones during the election campaign.
Political parties and candidates will also face penalties, including imprisonment and fines, for violating the code of conduct.