EC begins review meeting on election schedule, referendum
The Election Commission (EC) has begun reviewing the latest preparations for the upcoming 13th national parliamentary election and the planned referendum.
Officials indicated that the schedule for the national election may be announced any day after today's (7 December) meeting.
Several important decisions related to the election process and administrative arrangements may also be finalised.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
The EC's 10th meeting commenced at 10:45am, with Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin presiding.
All four election commissioners, the EC secretary, and other senior officials are attending the session.
The schedules are expected to be announced in the second week of December, while both the parliamentary polls and the referendum are planned for the first half of February on the same day.
Meeting's agenda at a glance:
- Review of pre-schedule and post-schedule activities in line with laws and procedures
- Progress on overall preparations for holding the referendum and the election
- Matters related to communication, coordination, and consultations with field administration
- Decisions regarding the registration of political parties
- Determining the process and SOP for National ID correction applications
- Centre management based on experiences gathered from the mock vote held on 29 November
- Handover of nine machines from the Personalization Centre to the IDEA project and payment of the pending bill to BMTF
- Payment of dues for the personalisation of an additional 14 lakh smart cards
- Decision on procurement package NCS–27 (smart card personalisation and printing of "Bir Muktijoddha")
The meeting is slated to review proposals, including extending voting hours by one hour, and finalising the deadlines for nomination submissions, scrutiny, withdrawals, and the polling date.
It will also finalise the timeline for transporting postal ballots, alongside reviewing overall progress in election preparations.
Ahead of announcing the schedules, the EC has already held law-and-order meetings and inter-ministerial meetings after completing the groundwork for the polls.
As per tradition, the constitutional body responsible for elections will brief the President on its overall preparations at Bangabhaban on 10 December. The CEC will announce the schedules a few days later.
District commissioners, UNOs, SPs, OCs and other field-level administration as well as police officials have already undergone major reshuffles. After the schedule is announced, the EC will consider further changes if necessary.
Earlier, Election Commissioner Md Anwarul Islam Sarkar said, "Sunday's commission meeting will decide the timetable for the schedule. After that, we will finalise it during our meeting with the Honourable President."
He added that once the schedule is announced, a gazette will also be issued naming the returning officers and assistant returning officers.
Various changes have been made in the laws, rules and guidelines this time.
The agenda includes ten items, notably activities before and after the schedule, preparations for holding the referendum, the overall readiness for the 13th parliamentary election, and issues related to maximum communication, coordination and consultation at the field level.
