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“But the polls will have to be conducted within Jan 24, so not much time is available,” the CEC said.
“We can't announce the exact date for the polls now. You will be informed in due time. We will keep enough room to accommodate that in the poll schedule,” Kazi Rakibuddin said.
The CEC said a 40-50 day poll schedule will be finalised soon. It would include filing of nomination, scrutiny, withdrawal of nominations and campaign time and the actual polls.
When mediapersons asked him whether a poll schedule has to be announced in November if polls were to be held in January, Kazi Rakibuddin nodded in agreement.
“You are absolutely right,” he told the mediapersons.
But he said no date for the polls has been finalised in Election Commission’s Sunday meeting.
“We have some constitutional compulsions, as the polls have to be held within Jan 24. So we have to prepare,” he said.
Kazi Rakibuddin said he was hopeful of a solution through dialogue between the government and the Opposition over the nature of the polls-time dispensation.
The five-member EC is finalising all arrangements for a free and fair polls, even as the ruling coalition and the Opposition grapples over whether the polls will be conducted by a non-party neutral caretaker (demanded by BNP-led Opposition) or an all-party interim Cabinet of elected representatives (suggested by the Prime Minister).
“We will wait for a settlement on the poll-time dispensation, but we have to prepare to hold the polls in time,” the CEC said. “The country eagerly awaits the settlement and we also want a peaceful and inclusive polls which is free and fair and joined by all parties.”
“We will wait for the maximum possible time."
Will you also be open to hold the polls after Jan 24?
Rakibuddin’s reply – “The time has not yet come to think of that”.
The draft code of conduct has been uploaded on the EC’s website on Sunday for all concerned to respond within seven days.
The then EC headed by MA Aziz had to cancel the parliamentary polls in 2006 after the schedule had been announced due to the political crisis.
Later the Fakhruddin Ahmed-led caretaker government finalised the date of elections for the EC headed by ATM Shamsul Huda.
The EC has asked all concerned to respond to the draft code of conduct it has put up on its website (www.ecs.gov.bd) by Nov 9.