EC must be competent, courageous

A group of civil society members would ask the search committee to pick competent, impartial and courageous people for constituting the five-member Election Commission.

The Daily Star yesterday talked to 10 of the 12 civil society members with whom the search panel exchanges views at Supreme Court Judges' Lounge at 4:00pm today.

Some of them said they would give written proposals to the committee while others said they would urge the panel to work out a set of criteria for picking the right persons for the next EC.

Of the 12, former election commissioner Sohul Hussain said he would share with the committee his five years' experience as a commissioner.

He would also suggest that the committee pick those who were free from controversy in their careers and had “no political affiliation even in student life”.

Another former election commissioner, M Sakhawat Hussain, said the committee's initiative to hold talks with civil society members would be fruitful if it translates their suggestions into action.

Sakhawat said he would submit a written proposal to the committee. “I will write about my personal experience as well as the theoretical aspects.”

At its first meeting on Saturday, the search committee had decided to sit with 12 eminent personalities of the country.

Earlier on January 25, President Abdul Hamid formed the six-member search committee, headed by Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, after holding a series of talks with 31 political parties to constitute the next EC.

The tenure of the incumbent commission expires next month.

According to the gazette notification published on January 25, the search committee will recommend two names each for the posts of the EC chief and four election commissioners.

Later, the president, on the prime minister's advice, will appoint the EC chief and other commissioners.

This is the first time a search committee on EC formation is holding a meeting with civil society members, as the previous committee formed in 2012 didn't do so.

AK Azad Chowdhury, former vice chancellor of Dhaka University, said he would suggest choosing people with strong values of Liberation War, dedication, integrity and courage for carrying out the responsibility.

He said the past records of the preferred persons should be analysed carefully.

Azad doesn't see any problem in any of the chosen persons having political affiliation if the person is of high moral integrity. Such a person would be guided by his conscience, not political motive, he added.

Local government expert Tofail Ahmed said he would hand over a written proposal to the committee, outlining the criteria for choosing the election commissioners.

He further said the committee could seek opinions of general people on EC formation and devise a mechanism in this regard.

Ahmed said he would also give suggestions on picking honest and competent people for the posts of commissioner.

Badiul Alam Majumdar, secretary of Sushasoner Jonno Nagorik, said he would also submit a written proposal to the committee, mentioning how the election commissioners could be chosen in a transparent manner.

The committee's initiative is positive but such initiatives had turned out to be “eyewash” in the past, he said.

All stakeholders gave their opinions to the parliamentary committee before the 15th amendment to the constitution was made in 2011. But those suggestions were not considered, noted Badiul.

“We will give proposals but I don't know whether those would be taken into consideration.”

Eminent educationist Prof Abul Kashem Fazlul Haque said the main problem in constituting a neutral EC is division among political parties.

“How is it possible to form an acceptable Election Commission when political parties take rigid stances? … This is an issue of acceptance.

“We don't know whether all the political parties will accept the Election Commission to be formed following the search committee's recommendations,” he said, adding that he would give some specific suggestions for constituting an EC acceptable to all.

SMA Fayez, former vice chancellor of Dhaka University, said, “Everybody wants a free and fair Election Commission. I want people with clean image for the Election Commission.”

Former IGP Nurul Huda said those who worked for big organisations and know the electoral laws well would be better choices for the posts of election commissioners.