Staff Reporter :
BNP Standing Committee Member Salahuddin Ahmed on Thursday said reforms, justice, and election are not interdependent matters.
“The biggest question before us now is the one everyone raises-are reforms, justice, and election interdependent matters? To put it clearly, these are mutual issues. There is no hierarchy of interdependence among them.
That means, they are not interdependent matters,” he said at a discussion at the CIRDAP auditorium in the capital.
Salahuddin Ahmed said, “The people want an election in a festive environment-that is their desire, aspiration, and wish. Now, challenges are being raised about holding elections, and about the role of civil society.”
“According to the Constitution, the Election Commission still has the authority to hold elections independently, and if the Commission seeks cooperation, all government and state agencies are obliged to provide it.
In the past, the Election Commission could not exercise this authority because the executive branch had greater control. That situation does not exist now,” the BNP leader said.
He added, “Although the caretaker system has not yet been formally established, the interim government is functioning in the style of a caretaker system.
Once the caretaker government system is fully established, the next elections will be held within the timeframe stipulated under that system.”
He said, for now, the elections are being organized within the timeline announced by the interim government and the roadmap declared by the Election Commission.
In fact, with the publication of the delimitation (boundary determination) gazette, the process has moved further ahead.
“We hope that all election-related work, arrangements, and preparations will be completed within September,” the BNP leader said.
