EC making preparations for national election in December

The Election Commission (EC) is currently preparing for the national parliamentary elections, which are set to take place in December this year. 

Right now, they are not focusing on any other elections, but if the government asks for it, the EC is ready to organize local government elections before the national vote.

On Tuesday, February 11, the Election Commission met with ambassadors and representatives from 18 countries, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), to discuss election matters. 

After the meeting, Election Commissioner Abul Fazal Md. Sanaullah spoke to the media and shared the commission’s plans.

In his statement, he addressed a question from reporters about the timing of the national election. 

"The Chief Advisor, in his statement on December 16, said that if the elections are held with a few reforms and political agreement, they could take place by December 2025. If more time is given for further reforms, the election may happen in June 2026," said Abul Fazal. 

He also confirmed that the EC is making preparations based on the earliest possible date for the election and that the commission’s stance on the matter remains unchanged.

When asked about the possibility of holding local government elections at the same time as the national election, the Election Commissioner clarified that the EC does not believe this is feasible. 

"In the past, we have seen that conducting local government elections in phases takes about a year," he explained. "If we were to hold all of the local elections at once, it would push back the national election. The national election is our top priority right now." 

However, he added that if the government decides to hold local elections before the national election, the EC will carry out those instructions.

Abul Fazal also pointed out that the government would make the final decision about which local government bodies will have elections and how extensive the elections will be. 

He said that once those decisions are made, the EC will evaluate whether holding local elections will affect the national vote, though it’s too early to make that assessment.

The meeting with international representatives also included attendees from countries like the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, Italy, Switzerland, Australia, Spain, Canada, Germany, China, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, France, South Korea, the EU, and Turkey.