Dhaka, Jan 12 (V7N) —National elections and local government elections cannot be held simultaneously, said Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) Abdul Fazal Md Sanaullah.
He made this remark on Sunday afternoon, following the 14th commission meeting of the EC.
He said: "Our overall focus is on the national election. The commission is moving towards the national election. Once preparations for the national election are completed, other preparations will also fall into place."
After the nearly three-hour-long meeting, EC Sanaullah said: "It's not just about holding elections. In the changed circumstances, the reality is that a reform commission is working. Their proposals will come forward. If any amendments to laws and regulations are needed based on these proposals, there is time to make those adjustments. The electoral environment in the country is a significant issue."
The EC added: "Subsequently, to hold the national election, we will need considerable time. It would not be appropriate to introduce any event that could disrupt the national election. In this context, I am confident that the concerned ministry, the government, and all stakeholders will make decisions accordingly, and we will implement them. If the government feels that some elections should be held earlier, we will act accordingly."
He further said: "However, if the government decides to conduct all elections simultaneously, our position is that this would not be appropriate. To facilitate updates, voter information collection from households will formally commence on January 20."
Commenting on the national ID card (NID) services, he said: "We believe that transferring the NID services to the Ministry of Home Affairs is contradictory to the Constitution. The NID database was developed by the commission, and for this reason, it is not logical to transfer the NID operations to another department. We have decided to correspond on this matter."
END/MSS/AJ
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