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Media gag at EC finally withdrawn

Staff Correspondent
The restrictions by the Election Commission (EC) secretariat officials that held back the two election commissioners from expressing opinions to the press were lifted yesterday following severe criticism from every corner.
After withdrawal of the restrictions, Election Commissioner AK Mohammad Ali at his office yesterday told journalists, "The decision of preparing a fresh voter roll was taken following tradition, but not lawfully. When there are laws, why follow tradition?"
The restraint had 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.
Despite the EC decision about the roll, the discord remains as the two election commissioners appear to be sticking to their guns.
"We are still saying what we said earlier," Election Commissioner AK Mohammad Ali said, explaining their [the commissioners'] position on the voter roll issue.
"We gave our opinion that the list must be prepared in accordance with the Electoral Rolls Ordinance 1982," he added.
"The chief election commissioner had once said it would not be possible to prepare a fresh list without amending the ordinance. But now he's saying that there is no legal bar to preparing a fresh list. I don't know why he has shifted from his earlier stance," Mohammad Ali said.
According to the EC decision, the voter list for the next parliamentary election will be prepared afresh, like the previous ones prepared afresh in accordance with the electoral ordinance.
Fresh rolls were prepared in 1983, 1990, 1995 and 2000 following the Electoral Rolls Ordinance 1982.
"It was a consensus decision and there is no reported discord within the commission," EC Secretary SM Zakaria told reporters yesterday.
The decision for a fresh roll was made at Saturday's meeting, say the minutes of the meeting.
But it was kept back from the media till the EC made it public on Sunday.
During the August 6 meeting, the CEC asked the election commissioners not to disclose anything about the meeting. After the meeting, he and the two election commissioners denied taking any decision and said they would sit again.
But the EC on Sunday did not hold the scheduled meeting, and instead announced the decision.
Election Commissioner AK Mohammad Ali however said the August 6 meeting did not take any decision. The CEC yesterday declined to meet journalists.