EC ready to hold presidential election once date is finalised: CEC

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin has said the Election Commission (EC) is fully prepared to conduct the presidential election at any time, although the date for the vote has not yet been finalised.

The CEC made the remarks to reporters on Tuesday after a meeting with Acting Speaker Barrister Kaiser Kamal at around 11am.

Following the resignation of President Mohammed Shahabuddin last Friday, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed assumed the responsibilities of Acting President in accordance with the Constitution. As a result, Deputy Speaker Barrister Kaiser Kamal took over as Acting Speaker.

Against this backdrop, the CEC met the Acting Speaker to discuss procedural matters related to the election of a new president.

Nasir Uddin said the Presidential Election Act requires the Election Commission to consult the Speaker of Parliament before announcing the election schedule.

He explained that the election procedure differs depending on whether Parliament is in session or not. While the meeting focused on these procedural issues, no specific date for the election was decided. He added that the schedule would be announced once it is finalised.

The CEC also said the Election Commission is fully prepared to hold the presidential election. The EC has already written to the Parliament Secretariat requesting the electoral roll, as the Secretariat is responsible for preparing the voter list for the presidential election.

Under Article 123 of the Constitution and the Presidential Election Act, 1991, a new president must be elected within 90 days of the office becoming vacant.

Accordingly, the Election Commission is constitutionally required to complete the election by October.