The Election Commission is likely to announce the polls schedule for the 50 women reserved seats in the 10th Parliament next week.”The election schedule for the reserved Parliamentary seats will be announced after February 9,” Election Commissioner Md Shah Nawaz told reporters at his EC Secretariat office on Sunday.Last month, the commission gave a 21-day timeframe asking political parties and elected MPs, especially independent ones, to inform the EC whether they would join any alliance or party. The timeframe expires on February 9. About the army deployment in the staggered 4th upazila elections, Shah Nawaz said the commission took a decision in principle for deploying the members of the armed forces in each phase upazila polls for five days from two days before the voting. “But, the final decision over the army deployment will be taken in the commission’s meeting over law and order on Thursday,” Shah Nawaz noted.The EC’s decision of arranging the upazila polls in several phases came for the sake of ensuring fair voting, he said. “The third phase upazila elections will be held in the second week of March, while the fourth phase in its last week,” Shah Nawaz added.Electioneering in the non-partisan local government body elections cannot be carried out politically. Action will be taken if anyone violates the election code of conduct, the commissioner warned.The commission has already declared the first phase and the second phase elections fixing the balloting for February 19 and 27 respectively.
