Jamaat fires broadside against EC for 'steps beyond jurisdiction'
At the second sitting for an electoral reform dialogue with the Election Commission (EC) yesterday, Jamaat-e-Islami embarked on a tirade against the commission accusing it of virtually stepping beyond its jurisdiction, which the EC rebutted categorically.
But the Islamist party did not specify which action of the EC constitutes stepping beyond its jurisdiction.
"The Election Commission's recommendation to amend the laws on different issues is unwanted and tantamount to stepping beyond its jurisdiction," said Jamaat's written electoral reform proposals submitted to the commission yesterday.
In the face of a rising demand of most of the traditional parliamentary political parties taking part in the dialogues, for trying war criminals in an effort to disqualify them from contesting in any poll, the commission on the first day of the second round of talks told some of the parties that it will make a recommendation to the government for trying the war criminals.
Earlier, the commission incorporated in its electoral reform proposal a provision for disqualifying any convicted war criminal from contesting in any election.
Yesterday morning at a bilateral dialogue with Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Inu), the EC made a new promise for making another recommendation to the government regarding disqualifying anti-liberation organisations from contesting in parliamentary elections, considering a majority of participating parties' demand for it.
Launching a broadside against the EC during the bilateral talk between the commission and Jamaat in the afternoon, the latter also termed as 'disgusting' the demand of the participating parties for not to register Jamaat as a parliamentary party labelling it as an anti-liberation force.
It also claimed that the accusations against it are completely imaginary.
In the written statement submitted to the EC, it said, "The Election Commission's neutrality will become questionable if it takes any step or make any recommendation giving credence to their motivated demands."
Jamaat's delegation led by its Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojahid also said in the EC's pattern of inviting parties to the talks it is evident that it has a bias against Islamic political parties while favouring some parties which are 'anti-religion'.
The Jamaat secretary general, who on October 25 said his party did not work against the liberation war in 1971, and claimed that there is no war criminal in the country, however declined to comment yesterday on an EC proposal for barring convicted war criminals from contesting in polls.
Emerging from the talk, Mojahid left the EC Secretariat premises hurriedly avoiding questions from journalists.
EC'S REPLIES
In response to Jamaat's angry accusations, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda categorically rebutted the allegations explaining EC's positions on the issues.
About making recommendations to the government, Huda said the EC has never stepped beyond its jurisdiction. "I beg to differ with you. It is well within our jurisdiction to make recommendations to the government on issues related to ensuring free, fair and credible elections," the CEC replied with examples from the Indian EC's similar practices.
He said the CEC of India made 58 recommendations to the current prime minister of that country including recommendations for amending the constitution and regarding the cabinet.
Since the beginning of the second round of talks on Sunday, the CEC has been saying that the EC will make recommendations to the government regarding Article 70 of the constitution, trials of war criminals, increasing the number of parliamentary seats, and about introducing a bicameral parliament.
In response to Jamaat's allegation that the EC did not invite many Islamic parties despite their representation in previous parliaments, the CEC said the commission wanted to accommodate as many parties as possible and they also relaxed the criteria for invitation for that.
"It is not at all correct that we did not invite Islamic political parties," the CEC said.
As the Jamaat secretary general claimed that Khelafat Majlish could have been invited since, according to him, the party had representatives in a past parliament, the CEC said the commission deliberated on the issue after receiving a letter from Khelafat expressing its desire to join the talks.
"But the party neither had any representation in any parliament nor did it obtain even two percent of votes in any election since 1973," quipped Huda.
In response to another Jamaat leader's demand for inviting Muslim League (Jamir), Election Commissioner Sakhawat said they could not even locate the whereabouts of the party despite sincere efforts.
Echoing Sakhawat the CEC said officials of the EC Secretariat could not even find any official address of the party. Party leaders, who had communicated with the EC, also had not left any address with it.
"Perhaps, some people are hesitant to give out their addresses," the CEC quipped again.
Responding to Jamaat's accusation that the EC invited all factions of some parties while neglecting many Islamic parties with factions, Huda said all invited factions of parties had representations in past parliaments.
"We thought about inviting the factions of some Islamic political parties, but we could not do so since they did not have any representation in any parliament," Huda retorted.
Jamaat leaders also blasted the EC for incorporating in its electoral reform proposals a provision for disqualifying any political party from getting registered with it as a parliamentary party if there is discrimination within the party based on religion, race, caste, sex, or language.
Joining the first round of electoral reform talks on October 25 of last year, Jamaat suggested the EC to omit the word 'religion' from the proposed provision, but the commission did not keep the request in its revised proposal.
"You have put the word religion in the proposal. It's an ultra violation of the constitution," Jamaat leader Barrister Abdur Razzak charged the EC yesterday.
"Some political parties, who do not represent the people and are against religion, supplied the language for the proposal," Razzak claimed alluding to some left leaning parties.
Election Commissioner Muhammed Sohul Hussain replied the EC did noting more than incorporating a provision from the constitution itself.
About discrimination on grounds of religion, etc, Article 28 (1) of the constitution says the state shall not discriminate against any citizen on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth.
Election Commissioner Sakhawat told Jamaat leader Razzak, "More or less you are accusing the EC, which is not right. What are you afraid of?"
Razzak said the question of registering Islamic political parties had never been raised before. "Then why the question is being raised now?" he asked.
The Jamaat leaders however said if the word 'religion' exists in the provision in question in the proposal, somebody might interpret it in future as -- political parties based on religion are not allowed to be registered with the EC as parliamentary parties.
Jamaat leader Razzak said the EC could have invited both factions of BNP to the talks.
In a quick retort to his comment, the CEC said, "You are making dangerous remarks! Who am I to recognise factions in a party when both sides are claiming that the party has not been divided?"
In reply to a Jamaat leader's query on why the EC invited Saifur-led faction of BNP and not the faction led by BNP chairperson nominated secretary general, the CEC said he would rather not comment on it since the matter is sub-judice.
"We examined BNP's constitution and our findings are not going to be very pleasant for the party leadership. We will disclose our findings later in a news conference to tell all why the commission did not invite the BNP chairperson nominated secretary general to the talks," Huda said.
Jamaat asked the EC to announce a specific date for the ninth parliamentary election, and not to hold polls to any local government before holding the national election. It also demanded lifting of restrictions on indoor politics at district and upazila levels.
Earlier in the day, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Inu) and National Awami Party raised the demands for barring anti-liberation political parties from contesting in polls, and not to register Jamaat as a parliamentary party.
So far, nine political parties joined the second round of electoral reform talks, and Jamaat is the only party among those to denounce the EC.
About the doubts in public mind over holding the parliamentary poll according to the electoral roadmap, the CEC told the parties that the EC decided not to respond to questions regarding the matter in the future. "We have spoken a lot about it. Those who like to revel in doubts, let them do so. We have no doubt in our minds about holding the polls according to the roadmap," the CEC asserted.
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