Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) M M Nasir Uddin has addressed key issues regarding the upcoming national election, including the election schedule, roadmap, and the nature of the Election Commission’s (EC) communication with the government.
Speaking to journalists on Saturday following the inauguration of a training program on electoral laws and regulations at the Electoral Training Institute in Agargaon, the CEC emphasized that the election roadmap will be revealed in due course.
“When the time comes, you will know everything. We are not hiding anything. Of course, we have an action plan for the election. Some call it a roadmap, others call it different names. We call it our work plan. Any organization must have an action plan. Since the beginning of our tenure, we have had our own plan in place. This is for our internal use and not necessarily for public sharing,” he stated.
Nasir Uddin added that the work plan is flexible and subject to revision if necessary. "If something does not happen on time, there may be minor delays of a few days. This is a probable plan, and it is subject to change."
When asked about the EC`s communication with the government, the CEC responded, “Regardless of how independent you claim the Election Commission to be, it is not possible to conduct an election without government support. We need the cooperation of law enforcement agencies, government officials, and the administration. The government will naturally play a key role here. It is simply not possible to proceed otherwise.”
He clarified that regular communication between the EC and the government is taking place. "If you are asking whether there is contact with the government regarding the election date, you will know the date at the appropriate time. We will announce the election schedule in due course. It’s not necessary to set a meeting with the government just to announce the schedule. Both formal and informal communications are ongoing. We are not isolated on an island.”
The CEC further mentioned that the commission is working in line with recommendations from the Reform Commission and internal electoral reforms. "We are moving forward while incorporating these reforms. Communication will occur at the appropriate time, and all details will be shared when the time comes," he assured.
The training session was attended by the four Election Commissioners, the EC’s Senior Secretary, Additional Secretary, NID Director General, and other senior officials.
