A six-month election roadmap is ready to be revealed, charting the path to the national parliamentary elections.The Election Commission (EC) has already drafted the roadmap, which includes a detailed description of activities before and after the announcement of the election schedule.
The official roadmap will be announced in June-July, following the finalization of the voter list.
The commission is preparing to announce the election schedule in October, allowing 60-65 days before the election, with plans to hold the election at the end of December.
There is a precedent for declaring the election schedule in the second or third week of November, with elections being held in December.
The Election Commission is progressing with its preparations for the election, which include political dialogues in August-September, finalizing the voter list by June, and publishing the registration gazette for new political parties between July and August.
Election Commissioner Md Anwarul Islam Sarker told Bangladesh Pratidin on Monday, “We are progressing with the target of holding the election in December. After completing the preliminary work, the "action plan" or roadmap will be announced in June-July. We want to assure that we have the draft ready; we are just waiting for the dates and times."
He stated, “All tasks must be completed before the election schedule is announced in October, which is planned for 60-70 days before the election. It is crystal clear that we will hold the election in December. To remove any doubts, the action plan must be released in June-July."
EC Anwarul mentioned that the election preparation includes training, consultations with political parties and other stakeholders, and meetings with the army, law enforcement agencies, and ministries. These discussions should be concluded by August-September, with the voter list work expected to finish by June.
Regarding the registration of political parties, the EC stated, “The registration of political parties is the most discussed issue. If anyone requests registration 10-20 days before the announcement of the schedule, it will not be possible to grant it. The registration gazette of the party must be completed before the announcement of the schedule. Therefore, our target is to complete this by July-August.”
According to EC officials, a draft list outlining at least two dozen election preparation tasks has been compiled six months prior to the election. This roadmap will provide a comprehensive sequence of actions both before and after the announcement of the election schedule. It will include specific timelines for all tasks, from the procurement of election materials to the publication of the gazette. The Election Commission Secretariat will carry out the preparations according to this plan.
In preparation for the upcoming 12th Parliamentary Election, the Election Commission (EC) announced its "Roadmap Release" event in the first half of September 2023. In comparison, the 11th Parliamentary Election Commission approved the roadmap and implementation schedule in mid-October 2018.
The current EC assumed office in the final week of November last year, and by May, it will have completed six months in office. The updated voter list will also be finalized by then. The commission is required to complete the national election process within its one-year term.
What's included in the roadmap:
The registration of new political parties, boundary determination, Representation of the People Order (RPO), election code of conduct, domestic and international observer and journalist guidelines, polling station establishment policies, expatriate Bangladeshis' voting rights, and the procurement of election materials, along with ongoing steps for legal and regulatory reforms. There will be consultations with political parties and stakeholders, inter-ministerial meetings, discussions with top law enforcement and field administration officials, briefings for returning and assistant returning officers, the appointment of executive and judicial magistrates, preparation of election officers' panels, training, manual printing, nomination paper printing, and other related activities. The possible start and end dates for these tasks are being reviewed.
The action plan will include timelines for tasks like voter list printing, center management, ballot box supply, ballot paper printing, and the publication of results in the gazette before and after the announcement of the schedule. Sources have stated that once the Commission reaches a consensus on electoral reforms, the official election roadmap will be finalized. This is necessary as the Commission will have to amend the Representation of the People Order (RPO) and other election laws for electoral reforms.
Meanwhile, prioritizing the upcoming national parliamentary election, important issues such as legal and regulatory reforms, finalizing the voter list, redrawing parliamentary constituency boundaries, registering new political parties, and engaging in discussions with political parties will be given top priority. Additionally, work on preparing the election budget is also ongoing.
Bd-pratidin English/ Afia
