"The Election Commission itself has taken steps for reforms of election laws. The draft of the reform proposal will be placed to all the political parties after calling them," the CEC told journalists yesterday at his office.

Taking office as the CEC on May 23 this year, Aziz had told newsmen that he would take measures for establishing an independent EC free from government control.

He had also said the EC would take steps to increase the existing ceiling of election expenditure in the national elections, and to bring back its (EC) authority to cancel one's candidature in the elections for violating electoral laws.

But no such initiative has been taken in the last six months since his taking office.

As the mainstream opposition parties reiterated their demand for reforms in the EC at Tuesday's grand rally in the city, Aziz again said yesterday the EC has taken initiatives to reform election laws.

He did the same on July 15 this year when the opposition parties jointly announced their 31-point guideline for reforms in the caretaker government system and the EC.

The CEC yesterday stressed that an independent EC is a must for holding elections in a free and fair manner.

Asked about the opposition announcement not to participate in elections without reforms in the EC, he said necessary initiatives have already been taken in this regard in consultation with Election Commissioners.

Aziz said recruitment of two lakh 40 thousand data collectors and 60 thousand supervisors would be completed this month for preparing a new voter list.

"Preparatory work for new voter list will begin in the first week of January and be completed by February", he added.

The EC has taken initiatives for the first time since 1990 to include people of the enclaves in the voter list, and will start in this regard following permission from the Home and Foreign Affairs ministries, Aziz said.