DHAKA: Bangladesh's Election Commission has asked the military-backed interim government to lift or relax emergency rules for holding civic polls in major cities in April, amid building international pressure on Dhaka to restore democracy.
"Now it depends on the government whether it will lift or relax the state of emergency to create the environment required for holding the polls," Election Commissioner Sakhawat Hossain said after the three-member poll panel met the head of the caretaker government Fakhruddin Ahmed.
The Commission's request came as the United States said it would be better for Bangladesh to withdraw the state of emergency as soon as possible and hold election by year end.
"The sooner the state of emergency is lifted the better, the sooner the election can be held, the better," visiting US Deputy Assistant Secreatry of State for South Asia Donald Camp said after a meeting with Foreign Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury on Monday.
"Full democracy is vital to the country....US will stand beside the Bangladeshi people to see power handed over to an elected government by the end of this year," said Camp who earlier also met the chief adviser, the chief election commissioner (CEC) and the army chief.
The Election Commission plans to hold the long-due elections to four city corporations and eight municipalities in April this year.
"How will the elections be held if emergency is not lifted? The candidates will have to be given the opportunity to campaign," Chief Election Commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda had said on Monday ahead of the meeting with Ahmed.
Emergency was imposed in Bangladesh and parliamentary polls put off in January last year following months of political turmoil.
The commission has also suggested that the emergency regime should gradually allow "indoor politics" across the country to facilitate electoral reforms, officials familiar with the meeting said.
Ahmed assured the Commission of necessary cooperation saying his government was also mulling withdrawal of "restrictions on indoor politics", they said.
Huda told reporters last evening that all preparations for the parliamentary election will be completed before December 2008 according to the electoral roadmap.
The chief adviser had earlier repeatedly reassured his government's plan to stage the polls by year-end.
