No alternative to talks: CEC

Dhaka, July 14 (bdnews24.com) ? The chief election commissioner (CEC) has voiced frustration over BNP's non-response to its invitation to dialogue.

"The two [major] parties should take part in the dialogue since there's no alternative to talks to resolve any problem. They need to meet and talk," A T M Shamsul Huda said on Thursday.

"We're inviting them, but there has been no response so far," he said mentioning that the main opposition had been invited thrice.

He, however, hopes that BNP would join the talks on July 20.

The EC is scheduled to sit for talks with the ruling Awami League and BNP on July 19 and 20 respectively.

His remarks came during talks with Bangladesh Kalyan Party (BKP) when its chairman Maj Gen (retd) Syed Muhammad Ibrahim requested for seeking BNP's opinion with a view to resolving the country's present political instability.

"It's possible to get over the crisis of confidence among the political parties if the Election Commission wants and gets active," Ibrahim said.

In response, the CEC said, "We're trying, but can't do anything more. We hope they'd come up."

Earlier in the morning, the EC exchanged views with Bangladesher Biplobi Workers Party.

The EC sat with the two parties as part of its ongoing dialogue with the 38 registered parties on key issues like the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM), demarcation laws and appointment of election commissioners.

The commission opened the dialogue on June 7.

Huda at its meeting with the BKP said all the disputes were resolved through talks during the World War I and World War II.

Referring to the standoff between King Henri and the Pope, the CEC said: "The empire was at a stake and public sufferings were severe. No-one was ready to sit for talks in France and Rome. Later, the dispute was resolved through dialogue in a neutral place, Kennesaw."

Despite being independent, the EC has to perform its work under a complex 'bureaucracy'.

He hoped that the court should help the EC hold a free, fair and neutral election.

EVM FOR LOCAL POLLS FIRST

The BKP chairman said the initiative to use EVM in the elections was praise-worthy, but "adequate public awareness is essential" for its use.

The EVM can be introduced in general elections only after trying it out for acceptability and security in local polls. "We're in favour of its use in the 11th parliament elections," Ibrahim added.

The other party, too, advocated for using EVM in local polls experimentally, citing that the prevailing confusion and mistrust needed to be removed first.

The parties, however, agreed with the other issues.

Commissioners Muhammad Sohul Hussain and M Shakhawat Hossain, EC secretary Mohammad Sadik, Lutful Kabir, director of the Institute of Information and Communication Technology (IICT) of BUET, and Saifur Rahman, managing director of Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory were also present.

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