It will be difficult for the Election Commission to conduct the upcoming general elections if the current parliament is not dis-solved, Election Commissioner Mohammad Abu Hafiz yesterday said.

The constitution allows elections with or without a dissolution of parliament. But the former situation will be conducive to holding elections, he told reporters at the EC Secretariat in the capital.

He did not elaborate any further.

Election experts, however, say a level-playing field will not be ensured if the present parliament exists and the incumbent MPs remain in office during the polls.

Amid confusion over the polls-time administration, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on September 2 at a meeting with secretaries said the national elections would be held without dissolving the current par-

liament and the cabinet.

In the last one week following the PM’s remark, the EC did not formally clear its stance in this regard. But the chief election commissioner (CEC) and two other commissioners separately came up with different statements.

On Tuesday, CEC Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad told reporters that the EC would examine whether a levelplaying field could be ensured if the national elections were held without the dissolution of parliament.

The following day, Election Commissioner Hafiz said the EC was not sure whether what the PM had said was the government's final decision regarding the polls-time administration.

Another Election Commissioner Zabed Ali on Thursday said the EC would amend electoral code of conducts in such a way that all candidates would get equal opportunity to carry out election campaigns.

Yesterday, Abu Hafiz said the uncertainty about the polls-time administrative system was causing a delay in amending electoral code of conducts for the national polls.

"It's for the government and politicians" to settle the issue, Hafiz said.

"We will work as per the constitutional provisions."

If the government and political parties seek suggestions from the EC over polls-time government, the commission may give its opinion, Hafiz added.

When asked about his view on some political parties' statements that they were losing faith in the EC, he said, "Till now, we have not done anything to lose trust of political parties".

On the army deployment at the time of the polls, Hafiz said a decision would be made on this in time.

As per the constitution, the elections are supposed to be held between October 27 this year and January 24 next year.