Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal yesterday sought cooperation from the government in holding elections in free and fair manner.
He also hoped that the government will also act properly as polls-time government in line with the constitution.
“The form of election-time government will be different from its current form. During polls-time, the government will not make any policymaking decision. This system remains in all (democratic) countries in the world,” he said.
Awal said: “They (government) will have to cooperate with us in election works. As per law, the government is bound to extend cooperation to us.”
The CEC said this while replying to journalists at Nirbachan Bhaban at Agargaon in the city as a delegation of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) paid a courtesy call on the EC.
He said actually this cooperation will be police and public administration and defence centric.
As the public administration handles district magistrate and home ministry handles police administration, so their cooperation will be needed while support of defence will require if any untoward incidents occur.
Noting that the polls should be a participatory one, he said anyhow, if key opposition party doesn’t take part in polls, its importance will decline weather it is held in transparent manner or not.
“We want all political parties will join the next national election,” he said.
Opposition party is demanding different issues including restoration of caretaker government system but “it is not our issue”, he said.
Mentioning that it’s a constitutional matter, he said if political leaders can reach a consensus on constitutional issue, they can go for it.
He said elections are being held under party-government in all countries including in India, Britain and the US.
“Government is government, but party is different matter,” he said.
He hoped that the government will act properly as election-time government and ministers will work as ministers of the government, not any party.
