EC to seek easing of emergency further
The Election Commission (EC) yesterday said it will ask the caretaker government to relax the state of emergency allowing political parties to hold national councils for amending their constitutions ahead of the parliamentary poll.
The EC made the promise to Jatiya Party (JP-Ershad) on the first day of its third round of electoral talks with the parties.
The criteria for parliamentary parties' mandatory registration with the commission, set by the new electoral law, demand the amendments to the constitutions.
Emerging from their talk with the commission, JP leaders disclosed the EC's promise and said their party agreed with all criteria for registration, except one that demands poll candidates must be nominated from panels prepared by grassroots level leaders.
The provision was laid down in the amended Representation of People's Order (RPO) in a bid to stop nomination business of political parties during parliamentary polls.
The JP leaders however said the EC assured them of relaxing the criterion they objected to.
If the criterion is relaxed, central parliamentary boards of the parties will be able to nominate candidates from outside the panels prepared by grassroots level leaders.
On holding a national council to amend the party's constitution, JP Chairman HM Ershad said, "We must invite at least ten thousand delegates from across the country for holding the national council, which is not possible amid the state of emergency."
"They assured us that they will manage the government's permission for us to hold the national council, if we can hold it in a month," Ershad, the octogenarian former military dictator who led the JP delegation, told reporters after the meeting.
The Workers Party of Bangladesh (WP), Gonotontri Party, and Samyabadi Dal also sat with the EC separately yesterday and demanded that the state of emergency be lifted allowing political parties to hold national councils in an atmosphere free of fear and intimidation, for meeting the criteria for registration.
The three parties however said it will be difficult for them to hold national councils now 'within such a short time' before the election which is tentatively planned for the third week of December, and suggested relaxing some criteria for the registration.
Emerging from the talks, leaders of all four political parties claimed that the commission assured them of considering their proposals for relaxing the criteria for registration.
"We have no objection to the criteria, except the one that deals with the panels of nominees," Ershad said.
The EC assured the JP leaders of considering their objection, meeting sources said.
During the talks held in the EC Secretariat conference room, the JP leaders said if the state of emergency is relaxed, it will be easier for them to hold the national council, the sources added.
The emergency powers rules (EPR) that enforce the state of emergency do not allow political parties to hold meetings of over two hundred people in open space.
In that case, the government may issue a general instruction allowing political parties to hold national councils, the JP leaders suggested.
The other three dialoguing parties demanded that the EC announces a specific date for the parliamentary election which 'must be held before upazila polls'.
They however proposed for announcing the schedules for both elections together.
They also urged the EC not to register religion based parties and parties that had opposed the birth of Bangladesh.
On upazila polls, the JP chief said his party does not have any objection if the upazila polls are held before the parliamentary poll.
"We left the issue to the Election Commission," Ershad said adding, "Whenever they are held, Jatiya Party is ready to participate in the upazila elections."
WP suggested keeping some of the registration criteria suspend till after the parliamentary poll, allowing the political parties adequate time for meeting those.
It also proposed to cancel the criterion that imposes restriction on having front organisations of professionals and students.
WP President Rashed Khan Menon said the EC assured them of considering their proposals.
"Some criteria for registration might be relaxed or suspended," Menon told reporters after the talk.
On upazila polls, Menon said the EC wants to take a decision after finishing the round of discussions with the political parties.
But a senior leader of JP said the EC is determined to hold upazila polls before the parliamentary election, although it is now worried due to the ongoing flood situation in the country, which is worsening.
Ganotantri Party chief Nurul Islam said political parties seeking registration need adequate time to meet the criteria, as they will have to amend their constitutions by holding councils.
He said they suggested relaxing the criteria for registration for now, and the commission assured them of considering their proposals.
He said his party also opposed holding of upazila polls before the parliamentary election.
The EC however did not talk to the media about the outcome of the dialogues yesterday, neither did it allow the media to be present during the discussions.
The EC opened the talks with political parties to reduce increasing differences between the two camps over the party registration issue, as the parties have been opposing the idea of completing the registration process before the upcoming parliamentary poll due to 'a constraint of time'.
Political parties willing to get registration with the EC must apply by October 15, after meeting the criteria including severing relations with front organisation of professionals and students, and with overseas chapters by amending the constitutions.
The Communist Party of Bangladesh, Bikalpadhara Bangladesh, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Inu), and BNP are scheduled to have talks with the EC today.
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