EC ready to hold national elections anytime: CEC

The Election Commission is ready to hold national elections at any time, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin said today (17 December).

Speaking to reporters at his office in Nirbachon Bhaban at Agargaon in the capital, the CEC said the EC's preparations are on track according to the timeframe set by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus.

As part of the preparations, the commission will first prepare an accurate voter list, the CEC said, adding that they are not considering organising local government polls before the national parliamentary elections.

"We are making all necessary preparations to be fully ready to hold the election within the timeframe set by the chief adviser," Nasir added.

The CEC assured that the EC is committed to conducting a free, fair, credible, and acceptable election, saying, "We will do everything needed to achieve this goal. If any provisions of the law need to be changed to ensure a better election, we will do so. This is what we call reform."

When asked about the possibility of an election roadmap, CEC Nasir said, "The chief adviser has announced a timeframe. We will proceed accordingly. While we will not be announcing any public roadmap, we certainly have our own internal action plan."

His comments followed Chief Adviser Yunus' announcement on Monday that the general election would likely take place between late 2025 and the first half of 2026, following necessary reforms.

Preparing voter list is top priority now

The CEC said, "Our top priority is the voter list as no election can be held without it. The current voter list is inaccurate, so we are beginning with preparations for a new list. Having an accurate voter list is crucial, and the chief adviser has also emphasised this."

He added that a finalised voter list would be ready in two months.

"After that, we will go door-to-door to collect information, removing deceased voters and fake entries. We will be careful to ensure that no eligible young voters are left out. The election will be conducted based on the corrected voter list."

'No plan to use EVMs'

The CEC also confirmed there are no plans to use Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in the upcoming elections.

"EVMs have caused a lot of trouble and controversy. We will not pursue this option. Our plan is to conduct the election with ballot papers."

Asked about the election system for women's seats, the CEC said it would depend on the reform commission's proposal.

"When a system is incorporated into the constitution, we will apply it, and the same applies to the proportional voting system," he added.