AL body prepares draft proposals

Awami League's (AL) committee for dialogue with the Election Commission (EC) over electoral reforms yesterday prepared its draft proposals to be placed at the dialogue scheduled for November 4.
The AL Central Working Committee (ALCWC) will finalise the proposals at a meeting tomorrow.
At a meeting yesterday, the 21-member committee for dialogue finalised the draft proposals.
Chaired by AL presidium member and chairman of the dialogue committee Tofail Ahmed, the meeting disagreed with several points in the EC's draft proposals regarding the registration of political parties.
The meeting, which was going on until filing of this report at 8:30 last night at the AL President Sheikh Hasina's political office at Dhanmondi, decided that they will formally oppose the EC's conditions, including not using anyone's picture on posters except the party chief's, having at least 33 percent women all unit committees, and dismantling front organisations and foreign unit committees.
The AL will also ask the EC to simplify the registration rules. The meeting also decided that the ALCWC will give the final opinion on these issues.
Briefing reporters during a break in the meeting, Tofail said they would urge the EC not to cancel the Representation of People Order (RPO), 1972. Rather, it should be modified and updated, he added.
The AL leader said they would sit with different professionals groups at 6:00pm today and with the Gonotantri Party within a day or two to exchange views on electoral reforms.
He also said they would place their proposals based on the AL-led 14-party's 31-point reform proposals.