The Election Commission on Monday announced that the 10th parliamentary election will held on January 5 next (Sunday). Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad announced the schedule for the election in a televised address to the nation on Monday evening, making a clarion call to all political parties and leaders to reach a consensus for the country’s welfare and the march forward of democracy.As per the polls schedule, the deadline for submission of nomination papers is December 2 and the scrutiny of the nomination papers is on December 5 and 6. The last date for withdrawal of candidature is December 13.
The election symbols will be allocated among the candidates on December 14. Later, the contenders will get 21 days for electioneering and there will be a public holyday on the voting day. The members of army will be deployed alongside members of the regular law enforcing agencies including police, Rab and BGB for ensuring a peaceful balloting.
In his speech, the EC chief said, “I hope all political parties will come forward to fulfill people’s expectations so that people can see the reflection of their mandate in a fair, peaceful and neutral election to be held a following political compromise,” the CEC said. Kazi Rakibuddin said that he repeatedly urged all the political parties so that they reach a compromise for maintaining peace in the country giving priority to people’s will.
“I hope the 10th parliamentary will be held amid a festive on January 5.” The election schedule came at a time when the BNP-led 18-party opposition alliance keeps on pushing its demand that the election be held under a neutral, non-partisan administration.
On November 22, the opposition alliance threatened to cripple the country if the election schedule is declared without taking measures to arrange the next parliamentary polls under a non-party government. The opposition alliance has long been insisting that it will not join the general election if it is not overseen by a non-partisan poll-time administration and threatening to resist the unilateral polls by forming polling station-based struggle committee.
Earlier, the gazette notification on members of the election-time cabinet and their portfolios was published on Thursday (Nov 21) although opposition BNP earlier said they will not participate in the next general election under the reconstituted cabinet terming it ‘a one-party administration of the Awami League-led grand alliance’.
There are 16 ministers and 14 state ministers in the cabinet. Forty registered political parties except Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami can participate in the 10th general election as the High Court declared illegal the registration awarded to the Islamist party. As the BNP-led 18-party alliance is likely to skip the polls, the ruling Awami League-led 14-patry alliance and some other small political parties can take part in the election.
Earlier in the day, the CEC had meetings with four other commissioners and the commission secretary and finalised the election schedule in the afternoon. According to the EC secretariat, 91,966,290 voters, including 46,123,318 men and 45,842,972 women, can exercise their franchise at 37, 711 polling stations in 300 constituencies across the country.
Without making the district election officials returning officers, the commission, as per the tradition, has appointed 64 Deputy Commissioners and two divisional commissioners returning officers. Unlike other districts, two returning officers each will oversee polls in Dhaka and Chittagong districts. The commission also appointed 577 assistant returning officers. Of them, 561 are upazila nirbahi officers (UNOs) Assistant Commissioners (Land), and 16 Upazila election officials.
The last parliamentary election was held on December 29, 2008 under the army-backed caretaker government after the announcement of its schedule on November 2 in the same year. – UN B
