The Election Commission (EC) is fully prepared to conduct the presidential election, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin said on Tuesday after meeting Acting Speaker Kayser Kamal as the process to announce the election schedule moves forward.
"We are prepared to conduct the presidential election," the CEC told reporters following the meeting at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.
The meeting, which began at 11:00am, was held as part of the legal process the EC must complete before announcing the election schedule.
Under the Presidential Election Act, 1991, the commission is required to consult the Speaker before fixing the date for the presidential election.
Asked whether the meeting discussed the status of expelled Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Gazi Nazrul Islam from Satkhira-4, Nasir Uddin said the matter was not on the agenda.
"If the matter is referred to us, we will examine it," he said.
Election Commissioners Abdur Rahmanel Masud, Tahmida Ahmad and Md Anwarul Islam Sarker, along with EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed, also attended the meeting.
According to the law, if Parliament is in session, the EC must issue the election notification at least seven days before polling day.
If Parliament is not in session, the commission, in consultation with the Speaker, must convene a meeting of Members of Parliament at least seven days before the election.
Before announcing the schedule, the Jatiya Sangsad Secretariat will provide the EC with the list of MPs, based on which the commission will prepare and publish the electoral roll for the presidential election.
Article 123(2) of the Constitution requires the presidential election to be held within 90 days if the office falls vacant due to the president`s resignation.
The CEC will serve as the Returning Officer for the election, in which Members of Parliament will elect the country`s next president.
Under the Presidential Election Act, a candidate`s nomination must be proposed by one MP and seconded by another. The candidate securing the highest number of votes will be declared elected, while any tie will be decided through a lottery, with the CEC`s decision being final.
The presidential election became necessary after Mohammed Shahabuddin resigned on July 24, following which Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad assumed the role of acting president.
