BNP wants caretaker in focus, not EC

The main opposition BNP plans to formally urge President Zillur Rahman to initiate a move to resolve the political stalemate over the issue of caretaker government system before formation of the next Election Commission.
The Awami League-led government abolished the caretaker government (CG) system by amending the country's constitution on June 30 this year, following a Supreme Court verdict that had said the system is unconstitutional but can be retained for two more parliamentary polls "for the sake of safety of the state and its people".
According to BNP's latest political strategy, its senior leaders will not focus on formation of the EC at the talks with the president on January 11, as all opposition parties' top priority now is the restoration of CG system, BNP insiders said.
BNP national standing committee at a recent meeting discussed the party's strategy. And BNP-led four-party alliance at a meeting on Monday night decided to join the president's talks to raise a common demand.
"We will join the dialogue with the president only to place our demand for restoring the caretaker government," BNP's acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said yesterday.
Some other opposition parties, which are not components of the four-party alliance, also decided to request the president to make efforts to restore the CG system for holding free and fair parliamentary polls.
Joining the talks separately with the president yesterday at Bangabhaban, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) also demanded restoration of CG.
They unequivocally said the next parliamentary polls will not be free and fair under a partisan government.
"I want to tell you frankly that I have limitation to address your demand. It depends on the parliament," President Zillur Rahman said in response, as quoted by LDP chief Col (retd) Oli Ahmed.
"I am only empowered by the constitution to appoint the chief election commissioner and other election commissioners," Oli quoted the president as saying.
The president however assured the LDP delegation that he will inform the government about their demands, said Oli who led the party's nine-member delegation to the talks.
The president also suggested that LDP places a bill in the parliament seeking restoration of CG.
Oli told The Daily Star that he requested the president to intervene to save the country from possible political unrest centring the CG system.
LDP also drew the president's attention to deterioration of law and order, police repression on opposition leaders and activists, secret killings, etc.
After LDP, the president sat with a delegation of CPB led by its chief Manzurul Ahsan Khan. CPB also demanded restoration of CG, and suggested enactment of a law for formation of the EC in future.
The president told the CPB delegation that he is trying sincerely to forge a consensus over the formation of the new EC.
Like previous days of the talks, the president asked LDP and CPB to suggest names of eligible people for appointment to the EC. But both parties were reluctant to suggest any name.
"The caretaker government should be reinstated to hold the next parliamentary polls in a credible manner," the CPB chief said at the talks.
Yesterday's talks suggest restoration of CG might dominate the rest of the talks when the opposition parties will sit with the president.
And if things move in line with the main opposition party's plans, the debate over restoration of CG might generate much heat in politics in the coming days.
Similarly, another significant question might be raised as to whether the president has the authority to take steps to resolve the political stalemate over the CG issue.
Political analysts appreciate BNP-led four-party alliance's Monday night's decision to join the talks.
BNP has yet to finalise its delegation. "I think our chairperson should lead the delegation to the president's talks since we will urge the president to take measures for restoration of the caretaker government," Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman, a member of BNP national standing committee, told The Daily Star over telephone yesterday.
BNP already made it clear that the party will not join the next parliamentary elections if the CG system is not reinstated.
Talking to reporters yesterday after placing a wreath at the grave of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman in the capital's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, the party's acting secretary general Fakhrul said his party will bring to the president's attention the overall political condition of the country.
Before BNP meets the president, its alliance components Bangladesh Jatiya Party and Islami Oikya Jote will join the talks on January 2, and the day before respectively. They will raise the same demands as BNP's, said party sources.
It is expected that ruling Awami League will respond to BNP's and other parties' demand for restoration of CG on January 12, when its delegation will sit with the president for talks.