Staff Reporter:

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin has said initial discussions on the presidential election have taken place, though specific dates for the ballot remain undecided.

On Tuesday, after a one-hour meeting with the acting speaker at the parliament complex, he said the schedule would be announced once it is finalised.

“The law requires fixing the date for the presidential election after consultation with the speaker of parliament. That is why we held a detailed preliminary discussion with the acting speaker,” Nasir said.

“The election date has not been finalised yet. It will be announced once it is fixed. If parliament is in session, the election will follow one procedure, while another arrangement will apply if it is not,” he added.

Replying to a question, the CEC said the Election Commission is “fully prepared” for the presidential election.

The Parliament Secretariat will provide the voter list for the election, and the commission has already sent a letter seeking it.

Election commissioners Abdur Rahmanel Masud, Anwarul Islam Sarker and Tahmida Ahmed attended the meeting, along with Parliament Secretary Hafiz Ahmed Chowdhury and Parliament Secretariat Secretary Golam Sarwar Bhuiyan.

President Mohammed Shahabuddin resigned on Jul 24 citing serious illness.

Under the Constitution, Parliament Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad will serve as acting president until a new president is elected, while Deputy Speaker Kayser Kamal is currently carrying out the speaker’s duties.

The Constitution requires the presidential election to be held within 90 days of the resignation.

The deadline for holding the vote is Oct 22, and the EC has already started preparations.

The commission held the preliminary discussion with the acting speaker as part of the process for arranging the election.

Under the Presidential Election Act, 1991, the EC will announce the schedule.

Members of parliament are the voters in the presidential election, with the CEC serving as the election officer.

Once the schedule is announced, it will include dates for nomination submission, scrutiny, withdrawal and voting.

These procedures will take place at the CEC’s office, while voting will be held in the parliament chamber.

According to the law, a presidential candidate must have one MP as proposer and another as seconder.

The candidate must also provide a written consent.

Since the restoration of parliamentary democracy, voting in parliament for a presidential election has taken place only once, in 1991, when there were multiple candidates.

Since then, ruling party nominees have been elected unopposed.

If parliament is not in session, the speaker can call a meeting seven days in advance if required for the presidential election.