The Election Commission (EC) secretariat officials have been restraining the two election commissioners from expressing their opinions to the media for the last few days.

The restraint has been imposed on Election Commissioners AK Mohammad Ali and M Munsef Ali following serious disagreement between them and Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) MA Aziz over declaring the election schedule for women's reserved seats in parliament and preparation of the voter list for the next parliamentary election.

Election Commissioner AK Mohammad Ali yesterday expressed his dismay over the restriction. He told The Daily Star over telephone, "It only proves our point that the EC secretariat must be under the commission's control."

"They [officials] don't belong to the Election Commission [staff], rather to the secretariat. Ask them why they do not let the journalists enter my office," he added.

He however said the EC secretariat officials were only carrying out the directives of the higher authorities. "They are bound to obey their superior officials."

The EC secretariat officials who work at the offices of election commissioners yesterday prevented a group of journalists from meeting the commissioners. Personal secretaries (PS) to both the commissioners told the journalists that the higher authorities have directed them not to allow any pressman.

"If you should meet the election commissioner, you will have to take permission from the higher authorities," Abdul Hafiz, PS to AK Mohammad Ali, told the journalists waiting to meet the commissioner.

Abdul Motaleb, PS to M Munsef Ali, told the reporters the same. The officials also said they might lose their jobs if they allow the journalists to meet the election commissioners.

Despite having an appointment with M Mohammad Ali, this correspondent was denied access to his office.

CEC Aziz yesterday evening brushed aside the allegation of imposing restriction on the election commissioners' speaking to the press. He said his office did not serve any such directive.

EC Secretary SM Zakaria too denied imposing any restraint. "I am not aware of this. I control officials at the secretariat. I do not control the Election Commission," he told the reporters.

Asked about 'directives' from the higher authorities, he said, "I'm not all in all. There are authorities even higher than me."

The secretary had boycotted the EC meetings of former CEC MA Syed for the last two years. But he has been attending the meetings regularly since Justice MA Aziz took over the charge in last May.

Against a background of such rift between the secretary and the EC, the immediate past CEC in his reform proposals said holding elections freely and fairly will not be possible without an EC secretariat independent of government control.

The two election commissioners were in favour of revising the existing electoral roll while the CEC wanted a fresh one. The election commissioners are also of the opinion that a voter list could not be prepared afresh without amending the electoral laws while the CEC says that there is no legal bar to preparing a fresh voter list.

Besides, the CEC reacted sharply when Election Commissioner AK Mohammad Ali last week had disclosed to a private television channel the schedule for elections to women's reserved seats. The CEC rearranged the schedule at an emergency meeting and described the disclosure act as surprising.

Apparently irked, the CEC said, "It should be none but the CEC who would brief others about the commission's decisions or what is going on inside."

Following the incident of disclosure, the two election commissioners have been asked not to talk to the press.