Frame law or form EC on consensus
Ganotantry Party yesterday urged President Abdul Hamid to take necessary steps to frame a law with a provision for a constitutional council to form the Election Commission.
Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon during its dialogue with the president on formation of the EC also favoured enacting a law in this regard through consensus among all political parties.
During the dialogue, Ganotantry Party proposed that there should be a council consisting the prime minister, the Speaker, chief justice, opposition leader and attorney general, which would recommend names to the president for the posts of chief election commissioner and other election commissioners.
"If it is not possible to enact a law in line with the constitution due to time constraints, the next Election Commission can be formed through a search committee consisting persons holding constitutional posts," Ganotantry Party General Secretary Shahadat Hussain told reporters after the dialogue at the Bangabhaban.
The party in its written proposal to Hamid said the search committee would recommend five names for each of the posts of CEC and election commissioners.
"Names proposed by the search committee will be sent to the Business Advisory Committee of the Jatiya Sangsad for scrutiny. The Business Advisory Committee will prepare a shortlist and forward it to the president. The president will form the Election Commission from it," the proposal said.
Those who would be appointed as election commissioners should believe in the spirit of Liberation War. There should be a process to make the EC accountable for its failure. Political parties and people who are against the spirit of Liberation War should be disqualified from contesting polls, the party proposed.
A seven-member delegation, led by Ganotantry Party President Mohammad Arash Ali, took part in the dialogue.
Speaking to reporters outside the Bangabhaban after joining the dialogue, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon Organising Secretary Sultan Mohiuddin said they urged the president to take steps to frame a law to constitute EC through consensus among all political parties.
The party said the EC should be truly independent and act neutrally.
"Anti-religion, identified corrupt people, holders of black money, killers, goons, convicted accused as well as druggies should be disqualified from contesting elections," Sultan said.
He said the EC made giving 33 percent party positions to women mandatory for all political parties, but it should be made optional.
A seven-member delegation, led by party Chairman Maulana Ataullah Ibne Hafezi Hujur, joined the dialogue.
The president late last month started the talks with registered political parties on formation of the next EC as the tenure of the current one expires on February 14.
Twelve political parties have so far joined the dialogue.
However, three parties -- Communist Party of Bangladesh, Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal and Islami Andolon Bangladesh -- have refused to join the talks. The BNP said it would not join the dialogue even if it is invited.
About the reason for staying away from the dialogue, the parties said the talks would not be meaningful.
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