Dhaka: Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad on Wednesday said the Election Commission from its end stands ready to hold elections to the Dhaka City Corporation (DCC), both North and South, as well as the Chittagong City Corporation (CCC).

“We’ve taken preparation for the two big elections so that we can arrange the polls within a short time,” he told reporters at the EC media centre after a meeting on Smart National Identity Card.

The CEC hoped that all political parties would join the elections of the city corporations.

“Two big elections will be held in the future. We’re ready for the two elections. The local government elections are non-partisan ones.  Many parties joined cities’ polls in the past. Though there is no party’s symbol, we want participation of all in the two elections,” Rakibuddin said.

Mentioning the commission’s inability to arrange the DCC elections due to delimitation complexities, the CEC said, “We cannot go ahead without getting delimitation gazette. We requested the gazette. We’ll arrange the polls as soon as we get gazette notification.”

About CCC election, he said there is no barrier to hold the polls within the stipulated time.

He hinted that the EC has nothing to do over arrangement of a snap election for ending the ongoing political deadlock.

“It is politicians who will take such a political decision. The Election Commission is always to be ready for all elections,” he said, replying to a question on whether the EC is prepared to hold a midterm election.