Demarcation ruling on Nov 2 EC appeals for lift of stay
31st October 2008
The Election Commission has appealed to the Supreme Court to overturn a stay on the redrawing of parliamentary constituencies, while the High Court on Thursday concluded hearing of petitions challenging the EC's gazette on the demarcations.
Appellate Division chamber judge MA Matin fixed Sunday (Nov 2) for hearing of the EC's appeal by a full bench.
The High Court bench of justices Mir Hasmat Ali and Shamim Hasnain, meanwhile, fixed the same day for a ruling on the petitions after a seven-day hearing.
The High Court stayed the effectiveness of the gazette on demarcation of 300 parliamentary constituencies-which redrew the boundaries of 133 seats-for three months on Aug 7.
Staff Correspondent
The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda on Thursday said the announcement of polls schedules will be deferred by some days but the polling date of parliamentary and upazilla will remain intact.
"The date for announcing schedules towards the JS and UZ polls will be deferred by some days as the EC cannot declare the schedule until the disposal of the case by the higher court on re-demarcation. Earlier, the commission set November 2 for announcing the schedules of the parliamentary election slated for December 18," CEC Huda told waiting newspersons at the EC secretariat yesterday afternoon.
Following the mounting uncertainty over the date for announcing schedule, the commissioners who avoided the journalists from making any remark on the issue, CEC Shamsul Huda made it clear that the announcement of polls schedules would be deferred but the polling dates of JS and US will remain unchanged.
"The commission cannot declare the schedules for JS and UZ polls on November 02. The High Court (HC) continued hearing on re-delimitation and we are waiting for the court disposal in this regard. Besides, the commission has preferred an appeal for staying the High Court order and hearing on this appeal will take place on November 02," Huda told reporters responding to a query whether the polling date slated for December would be deferred or not.
He said there is no link between the announcement of schedule and completion of the registration of political parties.
"I had set Oct 30 a target for completing the registration of political parties with the EC. The registration of the political will continue and it does not have any relation with the announcement of schedules towards the elections. In spite of missing the target set by commission for registration, it would not create any problem. Most of major parties would get registered and process in this regard is about to be completed," Huda said.
Asked whether the EC considers any alternative date of holding the JS poll, CEC ruled out any possibility of an alternative option of December 18.
"The JS poll will be held on December 18 and it would remain intact. The commission is not thinking of any alternative of its re-demarcation of the parliamentary constituencies conducted by the reconstituted commission in its tenure," CEC added.
Huda said, "We have finished the re-demarcation task properly and it's one of our constitutional tasks. Even the commission is not interested to explain the matter to anybody."
Asked about the registration process, he said the commission is giving registration to different political parties serially. "We will allow those parties at first who applied at first days of submitting registration forms. First come and first service will be ensured in providing registrations."
CEC also said the hearing on objections against Jamaat-e-Islmai would take place on Saturday.
Earlier, talking to newsmen, EC's technical committee head joint secretary
Nurul Islam Khan said some 25-35 political parties could get registered with the election commission.
"After scrutinizing papers provided by some 107 political parties to the EC seeking for registration, it seems to me that only 25-35 parties are eligible for attaining the EC's registration certificates, a prerequisite for contesting the upcoming general poll December 18," NI Khan said responding to a query.
Among the 107 political parties, some 40 political parties would not get EC's registration certificates. "Some 40 parties are ineligible for EC's registration as we have identified that these parties have failed to fulfill the criteria set by the commission for getting registered with the commission. Some parties have shown different shops as their party offices."
He said the LDP and JP had already got registration certificates from the commission.
Asked whether Parbotto Chittagong Jonosonghoti Samity would get EC's registration certificate, Khan said after examining the documents of the organizations, it seems that they would not get registered as a political party as there are some inconsistency in the laws of the organizations as some of these are contrary to Country's laws and rules.
Meanwhile, some so-called organizations on Thursday urged the commission not to register Awami League (AL) as a political party. The pro-Jamaat organizations are Jatiya Jubo Command, Bangladesh Socheton Nagorik Samaj.
Besides, Australian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Douglas Foskett yesterday called on the CEC at his office at the EC secretariat. Emerging from the meeting, Foskett said, "Australia will send observers to Bangladesh for monitoring the upcoming parliamentary elections even if it is held under emergency."
Source: The Bangladesh Today