President to meet five political parties to discuss EC reforms

President Abdul Hamid is going to hold dialogues with the country’s five registered political parties, including BNP, beginning from December 18, to discuss formation of Election Commission (EC). The president will exchange views with BNP at 4:30pm on December 18 in the Bangabhaban, president’s Press Secretary Joynal Abedin has said. President’s Secretary Shampad Barua sent letters to the five political parties, inviting them to attend the view exchange programme. The letter, sent to BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, asked him to submit a list of not more than 10 people by December 15, who will attend the programme. The EC is stipulated to be reconstituted by February of next year, as the tenures of incumbent commissioners including the chief election commissioner (CEC) will expire halfway through that month. The meeting was called within seven days, after a BNP delegation on December 6 submitted a 13-point proposal on the reformation of the Election Commission to President Abdul Hamid. Earlier, on November 21, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia called upon the government to initiate talks over reformation of the Election Commission, based on proposals she made on November 18. On November 18, Khaleda Zia recommended a search committee, clean EC, ballot reforms and empowerment of the military during elections as focal points for the reconstitution of the election commission (EC). Later, during a press conference on December 3, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said: “She [Khaleda] has made her proposal; now she can tell the president about it, and he’ll make the decision … we’ve nothing to say ….” When asked, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said: “It is a positive sign and the party is expecting a good outcome from the discussion.” BNP’s Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed told the Dhaka Tribune that they had earlier submitted a letter and its booklet on the 13-point proposal on formation of a strong Election Commission to the President Abdul Hamid. “Discussion with the president will mainly focus on our 13-point proposal, on the process of formation of the EC,” he said. Party sources told the Dhaka Tribune that a 10 member delegation, led by BNP chief Khaleda Zia, will attend the meeting. The delegation will place proposals, including calls for formation of a search committee, before the president, they said. The president will also hold meetings with the Jatiya Party on December 20 around 3:00pm, with the Liberal Democratic Party and Krishak Sramik Janata League on December 21 around 3:00pm and 4:30pm respectively, and with the Jatiya Samajtantrik Party-Inu on December 22 around 3:00pm, according to the schedule. The president will hold talks with other registered political parties in phases, said the president’s press secretary. In 2012, late President Zillur Rahman appointed incumbent chief election commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad and the election commissioners through a search committee, after holding meetings with the country’s 23 registered political parties. Currently, there are 40 political parties registered with the EC.Invited political parties welcomed the moveThe political parties, invited by the president for discussion, have welcomed the move and told the Dhaka Tribune that they will place proposals for a strong EC that can help hold a fair and unbiased election. Jatiya Party Secretary General ABM Ruhul Amin Howlader said: “The initiative from the president will help shape country’s democracy institutionally, and will also work to raise the faith of the public on the country’s democratic system. “The president’s initiative to help political parties deliver their opinion will help country’s democratic practices on a long term basis. The meeting will work for formation of a neutral EC and will also help holding a fair election.” Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Joint Secretary General Shahadat Hossain Selim said that they have received the letter and they will send a delegation to present their proposal for a strong election commission as well. Krishak Sramik Janata League President Abdul Kader Siddique said that the president can discuss with any political party in a democratic state and that such an initiative is a very good sign for country’s democracy.