The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) yesterday urged the Election Commission (EC) to announce parliamentary election schedule without delay to dispel growing scepticism about holding of the polls but the EC avoided a direct reply to the proposal.

"People are in a confusing situation due various statements over the polls.They now think parliamentary election will not take place on time. In such a situation, if you [ECI announce the schedule for election, the confusion will be over," LDP President Oli Ahmed said at electoral reform talks with the EC.

Pressed by the LDP leaders, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda however clarified the EC's stance on polls but he did not make any comment on the proposal for announcing the election schedule.

"We have declared a roadmap stipulating the timeframe for holding the polls by December 2008 after completing the task of voter listing in October," the CEC said skipping a direct reply to the LDP request.

The LDP chief, who led the party delegation to the talks, observed that an atmosphere of distrust has gripped the entire nation. And the country is in a stale of economic depression.

"In such a situation, the EC should help restore the nation's confidence in its good intentions by announcing the schedule for parliamentary polls. And the only way to overcome die economic crisis is to hold the elections as early as possible and hand over power to elected representatives of people," argued Oli, a former minister.

The CEC however said the EC would not deviate from its roadmap for holding the stalled ninth parliamentary election.

"Election will take place according to the timeframe already announced. We hope, the task of preparing voter list with photographs will be completed by June, and in that case polls could take place earlier than the declared time frame," the CEC asserted.

Voter listing is now getting momentum and on an average four lakh eligible voters are being registered each day, Huda said.

On the election to local government bodies, he said the EC would

hold polls to five city corporations and some municipalities to gain confidence in the new system intended to avoid any errors in parliamentary polls.

Huda categorically said the EC will not hold elections to over 4,000 union parishads though their tenure will expire early next year since it does not want to take any decisions that might hamper the national election.

The EC would move for amendment to election rules for local government bodies, providing for a ban on mayors of city corporations in holding posts in political parties.

About upazila election officers, he said the EC plans to provide them with army training to improve their efficiency. On army's involvement in preparing voter list, he said they are working under the guidance of the EC.

At the electoral talks held at the EC Secretariat, the LDP placed a set of proposals that include cancellation of the existing system for allocation of election symbols, polls campaign on a limited scale to reduce expenditure, ban on antiliberation forces' registration as political parties.