EC asks govt to ease ban on politics
Bangladesh's Election Commission asks interim govt to lift ban on indoor politics by mid-September.
By PTI |
DHAKA: Bangladesh's Election Commission has stepped up pressure on the interim government in the emergency-ruled country to lift the ban on indoor politics by mid-September when it plans to start a dialogue with political parties on electoral reforms.
The Commission said it would kick off talks with 15 main political parties on September 12 which will continue till the end of November as part of its earlier announced roadmap to stage the next general election by the end of 2008.
"The Commission thinks that the government must create an environment for dialogues either by lifting the ban on political activities conditionally or by any other way," Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsud Huda said obn Tuesday.
The Election Commission, he said, is a constitutional body and the government should assist it according to the constitution as the "roadmap has been announced in consultation with the government".
The parties hailed the Election Commission's initiative on electoral reforms, but insisted that the government must ease restrictions on politics for a fruitful dialogue.
The Commission will sit with Awami League of detained former prime minister Sheikh Hasina on November four and her arch-rival Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party on November 22.
The Commission will start the exercise with Islami Oikya Jote as the schedule was prepared in Bangla alphabetical order. "There are more than 150 political parties in the country and it is not possible to sit with all of them, we set the criteria to limit the number of political parties and invited 15 parties," the CEC said.
The Commission said it would kick off talks with 15 main political parties on September 12 which will continue till the end of November as part of its earlier announced roadmap to stage the next general election by the end of 2008.
"The Commission thinks that the government must create an environment for dialogues either by lifting the ban on political activities conditionally or by any other way," Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsud Huda said obn Tuesday.
The Election Commission, he said, is a constitutional body and the government should assist it according to the constitution as the "roadmap has been announced in consultation with the government".
The parties hailed the Election Commission's initiative on electoral reforms, but insisted that the government must ease restrictions on politics for a fruitful dialogue.
The Commission will sit with Awami League of detained former prime minister Sheikh Hasina on November four and her arch-rival Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party on November 22.
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The Commission will start the exercise with Islami Oikya Jote as the schedule was prepared in Bangla alphabetical order. "There are more than 150 political parties in the country and it is not possible to sit with all of them, we set the criteria to limit the number of political parties and invited 15 parties," the CEC said.
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