"An atmosphere is definitely required for holding talks with the political parties. We must be able to talk with them in September and an end result will come from the ongoing restructuring of the parties," the CEC said in a press briefing.

The EC had planned to hold dialogue with the political parties in last April, but it could not proceed with the plan due to the indefinite ban on indoor politics since March 7. To realise the plan, the CEC on April 4 at a meeting with the law adviser asked the government to lift the ban on indoor politics allowing the EC to hold talks with the parties.

It now seems the ban on indoor politics will be lifted at the end of August or early September paving the way for holding talks with the parties.

Referring to the EC's already announced roadmap which allocated a timeframe -- September to November -- for holding talks with the parties, the CEC yesterday said the EC finalised the roadmap in consultation with Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed.

"I think, the government has some particular problems in lifting the ban on indoor politics. We discussed with the chief adviser to prepare the roadmap," CEC Huda said.

Asked whether any vacuum will be created in the political arena due to the detention of political bigwigs including Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina and restructuring of the parties, CEC Huda said he believes an atmosphere suitable for polls will be created through this process.

"Any vacuum, if prevails, will be filled up by nature. The country cannot remain standstill for any persons. We will hold discussion with the parties, not with a person," he said.

Asked about the doubts about whether the parliamentary election will be held within 2008, the CEC said majority people are not sceptical of holding the polls in 2008.

"Some people and political parties however are sceptical about whether we will be able to prepare the voter list within the timeline. All doubts will be removed when we keep completing the tasks in phases for the polls," he said.

The CEC convened the press briefing to counter widespread criticism over the activities of the EC for taking 18 months' time to prepare the voter list, planning to hold local government bodies' polls before the parliamentary election and a reported link with the caretaker government in announcing the roadmap to the polls.

Huda defended the EC's stance for taking 18 months time for preparing the voter list.

The two other election commissioners -- Muhammed Sohul Hussain and Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain were present at the press briefing.

LOCAL BODIES POLLS
The CEC said both the chief adviser and the LGRD adviser requested the EC for holding the elections to different local government bodies from January.

The EC will have to hold due elections to different local government bodies once the voter list for the areas are ready, he said.

"We will start holding due elections to local government bodies from next January in the areas where the voter list will be ready. Elections to Rajshahi and Khulna city corporations will be held in next January as voter list for the areas will be ready by this year," CEC Huda said adding, "Doubts over the implementation of EC's roadmap will be dispelled when we hold elections to different local government bodies."

He said the field level task for preparing the voter list with photographs for Rajshahi City Corporation area will begin in the first week of August. The voter-listing task in Khulna City Corporation and nine other municipality areas will also begin in August, he added.

Brushing aside criticism for laying special emphasis on polls to local government bodies, the CEC said the parliamentary election will definitely be held in December 2008. "Before the timeline for parliamentary polls, we will hold elections to different local government bodies and it does not mean that the EC is not giving any importance to the parliamentary polls," he said.

CEC ON TALK SHOWS
The CEC said persons in talk shows on different private satellite television channels questioned and criticised the activities of the EC and its roadmap, which was announced on July 15.

But Huda said he personally did not watch any talk show on electoral issues. "I feel bad if I watch any talk show. It seems participants of the talk shows know all. We people here [EC] do not know anything," the CEC said.

"On several occasions, I explained the reasons for the 18-month timeframe. But I heard some political leaders' remark on television as if we are intentionally delaying the process for holding the parliamentary election," Huda said, adding, "We need constructive criticism. We as well as our field level workers feel discouraged by negative criticism."