The Election Commission will invite political parties soon to another round of talks on the subject of party registration, an election commissioner said on Wednesday.
"We want to have brief talks with the political parties regarding registration. The EC secretariat will soon send letters," election commissioner M Sakhawat Hussain told bdnews24.com.
Chief election commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda had earlier said they would sit with the parties to listen to what they have to say on the mandatory registration under new electoral laws.
But he insisted that the party must apply for registration by Oct 15.
Sakhawat Hussain on Wednesday said the 17 parties that had attended the dialogue with the EC would be invited to the talks.
"If any other party wants to have talks on the matter, it will be welcomed too," he said.
The EC will ask the parties to fix a date within one week of the invitations being sent, but Sakhawat could not say how long it would take to complete the talks.
The Election Commission announced on Monday that political parties must apply for registration from Aug 27 to Oct 15 for general elections—a must under new electoral laws—and said it wanted to be through with the registration procedure by Oct 30. It published the gazette on Registration of Political Parties 2008 on Tuesday.
Parties will have to submit ten pieces of information, including party name and address of party headquarters, copies of party constitution and electoral agenda.
Major parties Awami League and BNP have come out criticising the registration move, saying though they want to register with the EC, the Oct 15 deadline is too soon for them to meet all the conditions especially under the ongoing state of emergency.
Awami League had also earlier sent letters to the chief adviser and the EC, on Aug 19, seeking another round of talks on issues related to upcoming polls.
The CEC told reporters the following day: "Anybody may sit and talk with the commission. Our door is open." He added that no specific date was being set to hold another dialogue with AL.
The EC has previsouly had two rounds of talks with 17 parties: Awami League, Communist Party of Bangladesh, two factions of Jatiya Party, two factions of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, National Awami Party, Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, Ganotantri Party, Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Janata League, Islami Oikya Jote, Bikalpadhara Bangladesh, Liberal Democratic Party, Workers Party of Bangladesh and Samyabadi Dal.
Subject: EC to sit again with parties on registration: official ..................... 
Wed Aug 27, 2008 7:12 pm
