Presidential Polls: AL to reveal name of its candidate today
The Awami League is going to announce its presidential candidate today, the deadline for submitting the nomination papers for the post.
The ruling party's nominee will be the next president of the country as other political parties, which have representation in parliament, are unlikely to propose any name for the presidential election, and the ruling party has the majority in the parliament.
Earlier on February 7, Awami League Parliamentary Party at a meeting gave power to Prime Minister and AL President Sheikh Hasina to nominate the party's candidate.
After the meeting, AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader said the party will not reveal the name of its candidate before the nomination papers are submitted to the Election Commission.
The papers will be scrutinised tomorrow. If there is more than one candidate, the election will be held in parliament on February 19. Members of parliament will cast their votes to elect the president.
The names being discussed for the AL candidate are Mashiur Rahman, PM's economic affairs adviser; former chief justices ABM Khairul Haque and Syed Mahmud Hossain; Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury; AL presidium member and lawmaker Mosharraf Hossain and AL lawmaker Mostafizur Rahman.
According to section 5 (2) of the Representation of the People's Order, 1972, all executive authorities of the government shall assist the EC in the performance of its functions, and for this purpose, the president may, after consultation with the commission, issue such directions as they may deem necessary.
The tenure of Abdul Hamid, the longest serving president of the country, will expire on April 23. And according to the constitution, there is no scope for his re-election.
Article 50 (2) of the constitution reads that no person shall hold office as president for more than two terms, whether or not the terms are consecutive.
Hamid was appointed acting president of Bangladesh on March 14, 2013, while then president Zillur Rahman was in hospital in Singapore. Zillur died six days later.
Hamid was then elected unopposed as president on April 22, 2013, and was sworn into office two days later. On February 7, 2018, he was re-elected unopposed for a second term.
Comments