Staff Correspondent

The law, justice and parliamentary affairs adviser, AF Hassan Ariff, on Thursday said the Emergency Powers Rules needs to be relaxed to facilitate the holding of elections.

'The Emergency Powers Rules needs to be relaxed for holding the elections as it hinders the election process,' Hassan Ariff said in reply to a question at the weekly briefing at the ministry.

Although there is no direct bar on holding elections under the state of emergency, some activities related to polls such as campaigns, bring out processions and holding meetings are restricted by the Emergency Powers Rules, he said.

Asked whether the Election Commission will be able to hold elections to the local government bodies such as city corporations, Ariff, also a former attorney general, said the state of emergency has no direct bar on holding the elections. 'But it implicates some restrictions on election process.

Anything that bars electioneering should be removed.' He said the state of emergency is declared in keeping with the constitution. 'I alone cannot give any timeframe as to when the state of emergency would be lifted.

A few fundamental rights as stipulated in the constitution have been suspended, also in accordance with the constitution,' said Ariff, known as a rights activist. Replying to another query, he said, he was not aware whether the state of emergency was causing increase in the prices of essential commodities.

Ariff said the responsibility for holding the elections, in accordance with the law, lies with the Election Commission. Asked what the government would do if the commission fails to hold the parliamentary elections by the end of 2008, he only termed the question 'hypothetical.'

He said electoral laws covering issuance of national identity cards and preparation of electoral roll with photographs were at final stage.

'Elections as expected by the people will be institutionally possible after the completion of reforms to the Election Commission…. Electoral laws, however, will be published very soon to this end.'

The Election Commission has informed the government that it wanted to hold the elections to the city corporations of Rajshahi, Khulna, Barisal and Sylhet, and a number of municipal corporations in April.

The commission has asked the interim administration to create an environment conducive to holding the elections either by withdrawing the state of emergency or relaxing the Emergency Powers Rules.

The government of Fakhruddin Ahmed promulgated the Emergency Powers Rules after the state of emergency had been called by the president, Iajuddin Ahmed, on January 11, 2007.

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