Election Commissioner Brigadier General (retd) Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah on Wednesday said the commission does not have the authority to decide which election will be held first, national or local government.
"It is the government that determines the sequence of elections, not the Election Commission," he said adding, "Our duty is to conduct the elections."
He made the statement after a commission meeting held at the EC office in Agargaon on Wednesday, responding to journalists' questions about the National Citizen Party (NCP) demanding swift local government elections. The two-hour-long meeting was attended by all four election commissioners, the EC secretary, and other officials.
Meanwhile, outside the EC building, NCP leaders and activists were staging a protest.
Following the fifth commission meeting, headed by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, Commissioner Md Sanaullah briefed the media.
When asked about the ongoing movement and NCP's demand for the resignation of the EC, Sanaullah stated, "We don't want to comment on political activities."
He said the demand for EC reformation is a political issue and the commission has no opinion on it.
However, he claimed that the EC is operating in a completely neutral manner.
Addressing the NCP's demand for local government elections to be held before the national polls, he said, "Sequencing of elections — which comes first and which follows — is not in our hands. The government will make that decision based on the prevailing situation. The EC's responsibility is only to conduct the election."
"NCP will not let us to arrange any election without reformation of the EC. EC is working as the party office of BNP. They cannot work in favour of BNP with a mandate stained by blood," Sanaullah said.
Sanaullah added, "The EC has to take decisions on arranging local government elections first. The agents are taking over at many places. The BNP-allied advisers in the adevisory council have to be removed."
Sanaullah further said, "BNP has started a politics of bodies. They make big statements backed by the money of Awami league. They are closing down Nagar Bhaban. The Mujibism-based constitution will not run in Bangladesh."
"BNP leader Salahuddin has become an agent of India upon returning from there. He is destroying the country. He is saying that local government elections won't happen prior to national elections. He is working as per the Indian prescription," Sanaullah also said.
The EC's comments came in response to increasing pressure from the NCP, which is demanding local elections be prioritized and questioning the neutrality of the commission.
The 13th parliamentary elections are scheduled to take place between December this year and June next year.
While the BNP is pushing for early national elections, the NCP is demanding immediate local government elections.
