The chief adviser, Fakhruddin Ahmed, has said the government and the Election Commission are now fully ready to hold a credible election on December 29 with the participation of all political parties. The chief adviser has told a visiting UN delegation that the two major political parties have agreed on the election schedule and are preparing to contest the elections.

The UN delegation, led by Francese Vendrell, former director of Asia Pacific Division of UN department of Political Affairs, called on the chief adviser at his office on Saturday.

Vendrell appreciated the overall performance of the caretaker government and the Election Commission for holding a free and fair election saying that the government was on the right track and lauded various institutional reforms and completion of digitised voter list with photographs within a short period of time.

Vendrell said their job to be here was to see how a free, fair and credible election was being held.

Chief election commissioner of Nepal Bhojraj Pokharel, ex-deputy director of electoral assistance division of UN political affairs department Aracelly Santana, UN resident coordinator in Bangladesh Renata Lok Dissellien and political affairs officer, UN department of Political Affairs Andrew Bruce were in the delegation.

The UN team members, who came in Bangladesh for a pre-election assessment and was scheduled to leave Dhaka Saturday, told the meeting that they would come again on December 26 and stay until January 4.

The delegation emphasised developing a culture of gracefully accepting election results, particularly by those who were defeated in the elections. After the meeting, the press secretary to the chief adviser, Syed Fahim Munaim, who was present at the meeting, briefed reporters about it. The head of the interim government said his government had done everything possible for holding a free, fair and acceptable election, as the government was committed to this end since its assumption of office in January 12, 2007.

Fakhruddin expressed his confidence that all the reforms done would help set a culture of accountability and transparency, and hoped that the future governments would continue the reform process and strengthen the institutional reforms further.