Now it is the time for only women to throw their hats in the ring, as the Election Commission looks set to announce the schedule for indirectly electing women to 50 seats in Parliament.
An Election Commissioner said on Tuesday they might decide next week on announcing the schedule for indirectly electing women for 50 seats in Parliament.
The EC is keen to hold the indirect polls soon, though they are to be completed within 90 days of the general elections.
The general election was held on Jan 5 without BNP which was in the Opposition in Parliament. As the BNP boycotted the elections, the Jatiya Party, with 33 seats replaced the BNP as the main Opposition party in Parliament.
The Awami League has 229 seats in the Jan 5 polls – a three-fourths majority in Parliament.
On the basis of the strength in Parliament, reserved seats are distributed among women and that is too through indirect vote.
The Awami League has already started the process to nominate women for those seats.
In a Parliamentary Board meeting, the party on Tuesday decided to make the nominations.
A woman Awami League leader can buy a form for Tk 25,000 and tender it from Jan 15 to 17, Abdus Sobhan, acting office secretary of the ruling party, told bdnews24.com.
The applicants will be interviewed on Jan 19, he said.
Vote has already been held in 292 seats, out of 300. Voting in the remaining eight will be held on Jan 8, when results of all seats would be finalised, said Election Commissioner Abu Hafiz.
“We may decide on the poll schedule for reserved seats next week. You will be informed if it is discussed at the Commission meeting.”
Meanwhile, the 10th Parliament has summoned its first session on Jan 29. Reserved seat MPs will be able to attend if the election is held before that.
As per National Parliament (reserved seats for women) Election Act-2004, the EC shall make and put up the list of party and alliance-wise voters at its office for electing women for reserved seats within 30 days of publishing the gazette of elected MPs in the general polls.
The EC Secretariat on Monday wrote to the political parties having representation in Parliament about joining any party or alliance in the indirect vote for electing women for 50 reserved seats.
EC Secretariat deputy secretary Mihir Sarwar Morshed said, “50 reserved seats will be allotted against 300 seats in Parliament in favour of a party or an alliance.”
“In the proportional representation system, the proportion of reserved seats for women in Parliament stands at 0.167.”
EC officials said the Awami League will get 38 seats, Jatiya Party six, independents two, and the JaSaD and Workers Party one each as the per the results of the 298 seats in Bangladesh.
Parliament had on June 30, 2011, brought the 15th amendment to the Constitution increasing the number of reserved seats for women in parliament to 50, from 45.
A total of 17 women have been elected MPs in the 10th Parliamentary polls while it was 19 in the ninth Parliament.
A woman is elected for every three wards in a union while a woman councillor is elected for every three wards in an municipality and a city corporation.
Though these posts are reserved for every three wards in a union parisad, municipality and city corporation, but women have to be elected through direct vote.
Source: Bd news24
