EC ready to sit with parties to talk reform
Says CEC
Staff Correspondent
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda yesterday said the Election Commission (EC) is ready to talk with the political parties about the draft proposals for electoral reforms despite the ban on indoor politics.Speaking to reporters at his office, he said the commission will invite the political parties as soon as the ban goes. Meanwhile, Jatiya Party (Nilu) Chairman Shawkat Hossain Nilu and his colleagues met the election commissioners yesterday afternoon. It was for the first time that any political party has a talk with EC about the proposals for changes in the electoral laws. Earlier on Wednesday, Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain said the commission has no problem sitting with the representatives of the political parties to discuss the electoral reforms. Asked which of the factions they would prefer to be in dialogue with when a number of political parties face potential split, the poll chief yesterday said, "We will talk with everyone. Rifts in the organisations are not our concern." "Despite the ban, the political parties can sit with the commission. They can come over for informal discussions about the electoral reforms. There's no restriction in it," CEC said. About the initiative to invite political leaders for talks, he said, "Currently, we are not inviting anyone. They can come on their own. We are ready to talk." Speaking to newsmen after the meeting, Nilu said that after withdrawal of the ban they will float a new political party dissolving the present JP faction and that will be called 'the National People's Party'. He said they have placed some of their proposals to the EC and discussed the electoral reforms at the meeting.
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