Free, Fair Polls: Consensus among parties is also vital
Says president
President Abdul Hamid yesterday said apart from a strong Election Commission (EC), consensus among political parties is also essential for a free and fair election.
He made the comment during his talks on formation of the next EC with Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Rob) at the Bangabhaban.
The president hoped that his ongoing dialogues with different political parties would be effective in forming a strong EC.
So far, Hamid has held talks with 15 political parties, including the BNP and the Jatiya Party.
The tenure of the current EC led by Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad ends in February.
During yesterday's talks, the JSD (Rob) proposed that the president takes steps for the formation of a new law in line with the constitution to form the next EC.
The party also stressed the need for a non-partisan, elected and accountable election-time government, ASM Abdur Rob told reporters after the hour-long meeting from 4:00pm.
The government plays a vital role in holding the election, he added.
For this reason, he said, the JSD delegation proposed to form a two-chamber parliament [with upper and lower house] instead of the existing system of parliament during the polls.
The JSD also proposed that the upper house of the parliament to be comprised of 200 members who would be elected representatives from different professions. They would include non-resident Bangladeshis, representatives selected by the president, freedom fighters, and women.