Dhaka: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad on Tuesday said it will not be possible for the commission to allow any new party to get registered before the upcoming local body polls.

‘It won’t be possible to give any new party time for registration before the local government elections due to time constraints,’ he said.

The CEC came up with the remarks while talking to reporters after a meeting with the representatives of Dhaka North City Corporation at the NEC auditorium in the city.

He said as they will remain busy holding the upcoming local government elections, they cannot manage time to accept the applications of new parties and examine those before the polls.

The CEC also said they usually invite applications from parties to get registered with the Commission at a specific time before the national election.

About the move to hold local government elections under party banners, Rakibuddin said, ‘Polls were held earlier with political support informally, but without party symbols. With holding the polls with party symbols, this time it’ll be made formal.’

Asked when they will announce schedules for the local government elections, the CEC said they are waiting for the laws in this regard to be amended to pave the way for holding the local body polls on party lines.

‘The Cabinet has recently approved the drafts seeking amendments to laws to hold local government polls on partisan basis we’re now waiting for the ordinance to be promulgated in this regard,’ the CEC told the journalists.

On 12 October, the Cabinet approved an amendment to a century-old system of electing local government bodies by allowing political parties to nominate candidates for local government polls.

Rakibuddin said they have already started preparing the election code of conduct for municipality polls as the Commission will not get much time for arranging it.

The EC sources said the Commission is planning to hold the municipality polls in December this year.