President Abdul Hamid said although he wants an Election Commission that is acceptable to all, his power according to the constitution is limited in this regard, Bangladesh National Awami Party leaders claimed yesterday.
A seven-member delegation of NAP, a component of the ruling Awami League-led 14-party alliance, related details to this newspaper of their discussion with Hamid following an hour-long meeting at the Bangabhaban.
The meeting with Bangladesh NAP is part of the head of state’s ongoing dialogues with registered political parties over the formation of the next EC.
“We have told the president that the past experience of the search committee was not good. The election commission formed through [recommendations of] the search committee didn’t do anything good for the people. They couldn’t hold a free, fair and neutral election,” said Kazi Siddiqur Rahman, a presidium member of Bangladesh NAP who was present at the meeting.
Several leaders of the party said, in reply, the president told them that he agreed with their opinion but mentioned his limitations in light of the constitution.
“You are aware of my power. I will try to materialise your demand with all these limitations,” Ivy Ahmed, executive president (in charge) of Bangladesh NAP, quoted the president as saying while talking to reporters after the meeting.
The party’s acting general secretary Ismail Hossain said the delegation did not discuss the search committee with the president or submit names for the committee, which other parties had done while meeting the president.
“Instead, we stressed the need for enacting a law in line with the constitution to form the next EC,” Md Abdur Rahman, a presidium member of the party, said.
In the statement placed before the president, the party said, “In every election, incidents of using black money, power of muscle and arms, grabbing of polling centres are taking place and the election commission has failed to prevent this.”
The NAP leaders also said in the statement that despite all of this, the government is still talking about formation of the election commission through a search committee.
“But we don’t want election commissions like the ones formed earlier through the search committee,” the party said.
The statement added that the party wants a competent, honest, dutiful and accountable EC for holding free, fair and acceptable elections, because otherwise democracy would not be meaningful and sustainable development not possible.
NAP also said the formation of EC through law would lead to free and fair elections, adding that it is the demand of the time that people’s right to cast votes without influence is restored.
According to a press release issued by the Bangabhaban, the president said the formation of the EC is a constitutional responsibility. The main purpose of this discussion is to form an acceptable election commission.
President Hamid hoped that the formation of an acceptable, independent, impartial and strong election commission will be possible on the basis of discussions with political parties.
Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (BSD) was also invited to the Bangabhaban yesterday, but the party declined to attend, saying such dialogue was meaningless.
According to the Bangabhaban press wing, Bangladesh Tarikat Federation and Khelafat Majlish will participate in the discussion today at 4:00pm and 6:00pm respectively.
The tenure of the current EC is to expire on February 14.
