With Bangladesh’s two major parties unable to reach an understanding yet on the nature of the poll-time government, the Election Commission is worried that time might be running out.
The commissioners said they could wait till the last week of November, on the outer limit, for a solution to emerge.
The commission will have to announce the election schedule by the first week of December, if the polls are to be held by Jan 24, as demanded by the Constitution.
Any time later will deny the EC of a buffer to make last-minute changes.
The commissioners have already planned a schedule they would like to follow.
The way things will play out depends on the happenings in the third week of November.
The EC is planning the modalities of the 10th parliamentary election with developments of the crucial third week in mind.
The commissioners will meet President Abdul Hamid before that and inform him about the overall preparation.
Election Commissioner Abu Hafiz expressed concern over the present political situation. “The election must be held. The continuity of the government will have to be maintained as well.”
As a constitutional body, the Election Commission was obliged to hold elections in accordance with constitutional provisions, he said.
The schedule would have to be declared after a certain time, Abu Hafiz said.
The commissioner said they, too, along with ordinary citizens, were looking forward to a political solution.
He said they want the election to be held with all parties taking part.
“The third week of November is crucial. What will happen and what is to be done will be clear by then.
“We will make our decision. We will proceed according to our plan,” Abu Hafiz said.
The countdown to the election began on Oct 27. But there is apprehension in public mind about the fate of the polls, as the ruling Awami League and the Opposition BNP are at loggerheads over the nature of the poll-time government.
BNP-led 18-Party opposition alliance has enforced shutdown for 10 days in the last three weeks to press its demand for a non-party government to supervise the polls.
On the other hand, the ruling Awami League has already started the process of forming an-party interim government to conduct the election.
The Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the country’s apex business body, and two leftist parties – the Bangladesh Samjtantrik Dal and the Communist Party of Bangladesh – met, without success, the chiefs of the two parties in an effort to broker a deal.
The much-awaited telephone conversation between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Opposition Leader Khaleda Zia further complicated matters.
The parliament will resume on Nov 18.
The Prime Minister had said earlier that she had not dissolved the session, hoping that the Opposition would join Parliament to resolve the crisis.
The full and junior ministers have already handed their resignation letters to the Prime Minister to kick start the process of forming an all-party government.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had earlier indicated that she would reconstitute the all-party cabinet on her return from the Commonwealth Summit in Sri Lanka being held on Friday.
New Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia Nisha Desai Biswal is arriving in Bangladesh this week. She will meet both Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia.
Political analysts think her visit will play a vital role in making the two parties hold a dialogue to break the political deadlock.
The US has long been asking both the Awami League and BNP to reach an understanding.
India, China and the European Union, too, have made similar appeals to the two bickering parties.
So, the third week of Nov is crucial for a signal of ‘plan of action’.
Election Commission officials are mulling two alternatives.
An official at the EC Secretariat said they would complete all preparations by the third week (Nov 17-23) and declare the election schedule in the last week (Nov 24-30).
If they pursued this plan, they would have enough time to fulfil all electoral formalities, the official said.
If it falls through, they will be left with 47 days from Dec 1 to Jan 16.
That would barely leave a week, until Jan 24, to completing all formalities, including gazette publication.
Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad had already said they would wait ‘till the last moment’ for an understanding ensuring the participation of all parties.
Commissioner Abu Hafiz, however, did not specify what he considered to be the ‘last moment’ - the last week of November or the first week of Dec.
“We won’t have much time to give,” he simply said.
Election Commission Secretary Mohammad Sadique said the commission had already sought an appointment from the President to inform him of the preparations.
The Chief Election Commissioner, four commissioners and the commission secretary will meet President Abdul Hamid, giving him an overview of preparations before announcing the election schedule.
The election management and coordination branch of the EC Secretariat is preparing papers for declaring schedule.
The finalised code of conduct is being sent to the law ministry for vetting.
The printing of manuals and nomination papers will follow.
The preparation of the draft list of returning officers (Deputy Commissioners) and assistant returning officers (Upazila Nirbahi Officers) for each constituency began on Thursday.
The EC’s public relations branch is collecting the recorded speech of the former CEC from the state-owned Bangladesh Television.
The then CEC had addressed to the nation after the announcement of schedule of the ninth parliamentary polls.
EC officials said the incumbent CEC in his address to the nation will call on all political parties to participate in the polls.
The patients range from garment workers to beggars.
