The Election Commission (EC) will have to coordinate with the government when setting the schedule for local government elections, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Information and Broadcasting Dr Zahed Ur Rahman has said.
He also said the timeline announced by the EC should not be considered the government’s final decision.
The adviser made the comments while answering questions from journalists at the Press Information Department's weekly briefing on Tuesday.
“The Constitution gives the EC the responsibility of conducting presidential and parliamentary elections. Other elections are governed by law. So, for local government elections, the EC will have to proceed in coordination with the government,” he said.
Asked about differences between the government and the EC over the local election schedule, Jahed said there was no reason to view the issue as a conflict.
“The government’s decision is important in this election. The parliamentary election is different, as the EC has its own constitutional mandate there,” he said.
Asked whether the EC had violated the law by announcing a timeline without consulting the government, he said: “I would not say the Election Commission has violated the law. You can ask the EC for an explanation on the matter.”
The government has not yet made a final decision on the election date, he said, adding that preparations and the overall situation would be considered before setting the schedule.
“The elections will definitely be held. There is no confusion about that,” he said.
The adviser also said the upcoming local government elections would not be held under party symbols.
“Different political parties will support candidates, and some have already started announcing potential candidates. So there should be no confusion that the election will be competitive,” he said.
He expressed hope that the absence of party symbols would help restore competition in local elections.