The Election Commission will keep an eye on the outcome of the November 7 dialogue between the ruling alliance and the Jatiya Oikya Front.
What happens during that dialogue will have an impact on the EC’s meeting on the election schedule; EC Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed told reporters after an Oikya Front delegation met the chief election commissioner.
The secretary added that the commission is fully prepared to announce the schedule on November 8.
The delegation of Jatiya Oikya Front met with Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda on Monday to request that he announces the election schedule after the ongoing dialogues.
The meeting began at the Election Commission (EC) Bhaban, in Dhaka’s Agargaon, around 3:40pm and continued for more than two hours.
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD-Rab) President ASM Abdur Rab led the Oikya Front delegation.
The other delegation members included Gonoshasthya Kendra Founder Zafrullah Chowdhury; BNP standing committee members Gayeshwar Chandra Roy and Barkatullah Bulu; Nagorik Oikya Convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna, leader Noyeem Jahangir.
The four election commissioners and the EC secretary also attended the meeting.
Previously, on Saturday, alliance chief Dr Kamal Hossain sent a letter to the CEC requesting him not to announce the next general election schedule until the ongoing dialogue is complete.
However, the commission on Sunday said it will announce the schedule of the next parliamentary election on November 8.
Also Read- Dr Kamal: Announce election schedule after dialogue
Major demands of the Jaitya Oikya Front include postponing the declaration of the election schedule, not using electronic voting machines (EVM), and deploying the army.
After the meeting, JSD-Rab President ASM Abdur Rab told reporters at the briefing that the meeting was cordial and that the EC said they will meet some of their demands.
“We told them not to declare the election schedule before dialogue ends. In the past, schedules were postponed in many elections. This election will be a questionable if it is held without discussions with the stakeholders,” he said.
He added that since the tenure of the Jatiya Sangsad is till January 28, postponing the election schedule would not be a serious issue.
“We think that the EC has taken the matter of postponing the schedule declaration into consideration,” he further said.
About the issues discussed with the EC, ASM Abdur Rab said: “The polling agents cannot enter the polling centers. The EC gave word that they will provide proper security for them. Besides, the EC has agreed not to distribute poll result sheets to the grass root levels. No signature will be collected from the agents on white paper before counting the votes.”
The EC also told them that they would later decide on using the EVM and providing the Army with magistracy power, he said.
According to sources, Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury said: “If you want a free and fair election you will demand EVM in the future. You are opposing EVM without knowing the technical aspects.”
He said the commission has not yet said that army personnel will not be deployed during the election.
“They [the army] will work as a striking force,” the commissioner said.
“There will be magistrates along with the striking force. There is no need to authorize the army with power to arrest since there will be magistrates,” he added.
When ASM Abdur Rab was asked if the Oikya Front trusted the EC, he said that they have informed the EC about their reservations.
EC Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed in their briefing said that the Front has urged the EC to keep an eye on their dialogue. “About the deployment of the Army, we told them that the matter will be settled after the schedule is announced.
‘’As they proposed EVMs not be used during the elections, we told them that the machines will be used on a limited scale in the city areas.”
The alliance leaders said they have not come to the EC to express their no confidence.
“We want more space for trust. We are in the process of dialogue. We want more dialogues,” Nagorik Oikya Convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna said.
He urged the commission to sit with all parties to decide on an election schedule.
On Wednesday morning, the prime minister will sit with the Oikya Front leaders for a small scale dialogue.
