‘Final nail in the coffin’
The Election Commission has moved to kill itself through its latest initiative to revise the Representation of the People Order (RPO), 1972, said speakers including a former Appellate Division judge, eminent lawyer and civil society members, yesterday.
Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Shujan), a civil society platform, organised the virtual discussion.
They said cutting off its own hands, legs and pulling out eyes is tantamount to suicide.
Shujan Secretary Badiul Alam Majumder said through its move to revise the RPO, EC has hit the final nail in its coffin.
He said several important provisions that empower the EC to cancel the candidature of candidates and announce election schedule were absent in the proposed revised RPO.
"Through its move, the election commission has taken initiative to destroy the electoral system and to weaken the constitutional body," he added.
Former judge of the Appellate Division Justice MA Matin said it has to be ensured whether the EC has backtracked from its move to amend the RPO.
"We will have to remain vigilant in this regard," he said.
"They [EC] will not be able to do anything if the media remain alert," he further said.
Former Cabinet Secretary Ali Imam Majumder said it's very unfortunate that the EC itself wants to curtail its own power.
He said political parties failed to play its due role to force the EC to backtrack from its move.
Taking people with them, the former top bureaucrat said, political parties and civil society platforms will have to put pressure on EC so that it is bound to retract the move.
Eminent lawyer Shahdeen Malik said, in the last three years, EC has proved that they are totally inefficient to hold free and fair elections.
"They don't have any idea how to hold such elections. They don't even have the will to do so," he said.
"Names of the present election commissioners and the chief election commissioner will be placed at the top of the list of those who caused the most damage to the country," he also said.
Local government expert Prof Tofail Ahmed said the EC cannot take initiative to change its law.
"Curbing its own power through amending law is tantamount to suicide. Everyone knows that the present Election Commission is dysfunctional. Through its move to amend the law, the Election Commission will earn more hatred from people," he said.
The retired professor of Chattogram University also said it is not a good sign for our democracy that everyone at this time is silent against the EC move.
Dhaka University Professor Asif Nazrul said, "It seems that Election Commission wants to get rid of its responsibilities and wants impunity."
Noted environmental and rights activist Syeda Rizwana Hasan said as a civil society platform, they can express their no-confidence against the present EC through sending letters to the President or the committee, who had selected the present election commissioners.
Shujan President M Hafizuddin Khan presided over the meeting while former election commissioner Sakhawat Hussain, senior journalists -- Abu Sayeed Khan and Sohrab Hossan, among others, spoke on the occasion.
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