The Election Commission has become strong enough in the last four and a half years to hold credible polls, its chief said yesterday.
"We've overcome all sorts of infrastructural weaknesses," Chief Election Commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda said at a roundtable discussion at the Jatiya Press Club in the capital.
"And I must say the polls management body has turned into a much stronger organisation in the last four and a half years' time."
The CEC said, "The next national polls shall be held in 2014 and there shouldn't be any doubt about it."
Political parties' dilly-dallying on the next general polls won't continue for long, he said, as the people will force them to go for a timely election.
Shujan, a platform for civil society members, organised the discussion styled Amendment Proposal of the Election Commission and Some Relevant Ideas.
Strengthening the commission became a burning issue after parliament on June 30 scrapped the provision of caretaker government through the 15th amendment to the constitution, allowing general elections under an elected partisan government.
Different political parties, including the main opposition BNP, reacted sharply to the repeal of the system and said they will not participate in any election under a political government.
They argued the EC would be unable to remain neutral while organising polls under a political government.
Shamsul Huda told yesterday's meet the government has taken a Tk 278 crore project to construct an office complex for the EC that now uses the Planning Commission's building.
He also said the government has created 562 posts at the Election Commission. "We have also drawn up action plans for the next five years."
"Even the chief justice needs approval of the Prime Minister's Office to visit abroad. Such formalities are not required for me and two other commissioners," he said to note the commission's liberty.
"I also get money whenever I need for the activities of the commission."
About different elections held so far under the present government, Shamsul Huda said administrative officials, except for a few deputy commissioners and superintendents of police, fulfilled their duties relating to the polls.
He, however, said the functions of officers-in-charge and upazila nirbahi officers during the elections could not be monitored.
The commission chief stressed the need for an administration free of nepotism and partisanship to hold free polls.
Source : The Daily Star
