WRIT PETITION by Khaleda

Staff Correspondent

The Election Commission has asked its lawyer Dr Kamal Hossain to take steps for an expeditious hearing in former prime minister Khaleda Zia's writ petition challenging the EC's decision to invite the government-backed faction of the BNP, led by Saifur Rahman, to the talks on electoral reforms.

'We asked our lawyer Dr Kamal Hossain yesterday [Tuesday] to take steps for an expeditious hearing and disposal of the writ petition to settle the issue,' election commissioner Muhammed Sohul Hussain told reporters at his office on Wednesday.

The election commissioner made the statement when he was asked whether the EC was deliberately delaying settlement of the issue as about one and a half months ago the commissioners had repeatedly said that they would request the High Court for a speedy hearing, but did not do so.

Sources said that the EC was yet to request the High Court for an expeditious hearing and disposal of the writ petition.

When asked why the EC was still not requesting the HC for an expeditious hearing, Sohul referred to Monday's development in which a High Court bench had made out-of-list an appeal for extending a court order that stayed the operation of the EC's invitation to the government-backed faction of the BNP.

When it was pointed out that the HC's decision making the appeal out-of-list and contesting the writ petition filed by the detained BNP chairperson was not the same, an angry Sohul said, 'Why are you insisting on this issue.'

Earlier on December 2, Sohul told reporters that the commission would request the High Court to resolve the matter in four weeks as it would be in trouble if the dialogues with the political parties were not completed by the stipulated time.

On December 9, Sohul said that the EC would request the court for a speedy hearing and disposal of the writ petition before the High Court went on vacation [on December 13].

Despite repeated statements the commission had failed to request the HC for an expeditious hearing before the court went on winter vacation.

The High Court on November 18 stayed the commission's November 22 dialogue with the government-backed BNP faction and issued a rule on the commission to explain in three weeks why the invitation should not be declared illegal and void.

Khaleda on November 13 issued a legal notice to the commission, asking for withdrawal of its invitation to Hafiz Uddin Ahmad sent on November 5. The commission in its reply on November 13 refused to cancel the invitation.

A day after the invitation letter had been sent to Hafiz, the chief election commissioner, Shamsul Huda, said the 'doctrine of necessity' had prompted the commission to invite the Saifur-led faction of the BNP to the dialogue.

On January 2, a petition was filed on behalf of Khaleda with the HC bench comprising Justice ABM Khairul Haque and Justice Abdul Awal to extend its (HC) stay order. The bench on Monday made out-of-list an appeal for extending the HC order as Khaleda's counsels did not take steps for hearing.

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