Hold local body polls before nat’l election

Jamaat-e-Islami yesterday urged the Election Commission to hold local government polls under the interim government before the upcoming 13th national election.

During its meeting with Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, the party also called for a system of proportional representation in the general elections.

"The national election is approaching. Our demand is to hold the local government elections before that -- not only this time, but in the future as well -- under a non-partisan government, regardless of the form the interim government," Jamaat Assistant Secretary General AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad told reporters after its three-member delegation met the CEC at the Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital.

The meeting was held a day after the party got back its electoral symbol -- Daripalla (balance scale) -- following a court directive.

Jamaat leader Hamidur said if the local body polls were held under an interim government, those would be much more neutral and credible.

Responding to a query whether Jamaat has confidence in the current EC, he said they were observing the government and the EC.

"We're observing. And when any work is done properly, we will acknowledge it. We must describe black as black and white as white. If any deviation occurs, we will have to raise our voice … We are hopeful that they [EC] will act responsibly, keeping the public interest in mind."

In the meeting, the Jamaat delegation also discussed introducing the proportional representation system in the general election.

"This system is a good method for fair elections. We have also raised this demand before the EC through a formal meeting," Azad said.

Jamaat expressed its support for postal and online voting systems for expatriates. "We've suggested that the Election Commission can consider postal and online systems as viable options for expatriates' voting."

Regarding the registration of Jamaat, Azad said they regained their rights that were taken away unjustly.

"During the previous government's tenure, Jamaat's registration was unjustly cancelled, and the party symbol was taken away for political reasons," said the Jamaat leader.

Two other Jamaat delegation members were its assistant secretaries general Ahsanul Mahboob Zubair and Jashim Uddin Sarker.

Proportional representation is an electoral system in which the distribution of seats corresponds with the proportion of the total votes cast for each party.