The chief election commissioner, ATM Shamsul Huda, on Thursday said that the long overdue election to Dhaka City Corporation remained pending due to government decision.
'We sought opinion from the local government ministry for three times for holding the DCC polls. But they said 'no' (for holding the polls),' the CEC said.
He said that the commission at this stage cannot conduct the election unilaterally as there was no law to deal with the situation after the expiry of the tenure of the DCC.
Shamsul Huda made the remarks during a meeting with an eight-member delegation of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-JSD led by ASM Rab at the EC secretariat as part of the ongoing dialogue with the political parties.
Explaining the delay in holding the DCC election, Huda said first of all there was no ready voters list and it was difficult for the Commission to quickly prepare the voters list with photographs.
Secondly, he said the Commission had to remain busy with the last parliamentary elections and other local elections.
Huda said the EC had written letters to the government regarding the DCC election but the government replied saying the DCC area has already been expanded and it needed further delimitation.
'We didn't have lack of intention to hold the DCC polls,' he said.
The JSD delegation proposed to the Commission for using Electronic Voting Machine in DCC election to build voters' confidence on efficiency of the new technology and gradually expand its use across the country.
They also emphasised that an independent Election Commission should be constituted with sufficient manpower, financial capacity and executive powers to hold the future elections in a free, fair and neutral manner.
Election Commissioners Muhammed Sohul Hussain, M Sakhawat Hossain and senor EC officials were present at the dialogue.
Source : New Age
