UNB, Dhaka :
President Abdul Hamid is going to initiate formal talks with political parties over the formation of the new Election Commission (EC) through his first meeting with BNP this afternoon.
A 13-member BNP delegation, led by its Chairperson Khaleda Zia, will hold the talks with the President at Bangabhaban at 4:30pm. The President has taken the dialogue initiative as the tenure of the current Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad-led EC expires in February next.
Contacted, President’s Press Secretary Joynal Abedin told UNB, “The Honourable President will start dialogue with registered political parties today (Sunday) to form the new Election Commission. The first meeting will be held with BNP at 4.30 pm on the day.”
BNP has already sent the names of its 13-member delegation to hold the meeting with the President, Joynal added. He said the names include Khaleda Zia, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Moudud Ahmed, Jamiruddin Sircar, Mahbubur Rahman, Tariqul Islam, Rafiqul Islam Miah, Mirza Abbas, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Dr Abdul Moeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan and Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury. President will hold meetings with Jatiya Party on December 20 at 3pm, Liberal Democratic Party and Krishak Sramik Janata League on December 21 at 3pm and 4:3 pm respectively and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-Inu on December 22 at 3pm.
The Press Secretary said the President will hold meetings with other registered political parties in phases. The President will complete his dialogue with the registered political parties before he appoints the CEC and commissioners. Now there are 40 registered political parties in the country. The President Office has already sent letters to the five political parties in this regard.
On December 12, the letters were sent from Bangabhaban addressing the political parties’ general secretaries or secretaries general inviting them to hold dialogue with the President.”As per Article 118 of the constitution, the Honorable President has been empowered to appoint the chief election commissioner and not more than four election commissioners. As the tenure of the present election commission expires soon, the Honorable President has expressed interest to take opinions of the political parties to form the election commission,” reads the letter signed by President’s office secretary Shampad Barua. According to a source at Bangabhaban, the letters will be sent to some other political parties this week.
In 2012, then President Zillur Rahman appointed incumbent Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad to lead the five-member EC through a search committee after holding meetings with 23 registered political parties. The Awami league, BNP, Jatiya Party and other major political parties participated in the talks with the late President.
The debate on formation of the EC gathered pace when Khaleda Zia placed a 13-point proposal on November 18 for forming the new Commission and called for reconstituting it with representatives from all registered political parties or with representatives of all political parties that over different periods had representation in the national parliament.
About Khaleda’s proposal, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on December 3 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.”
Though the President is only a figurehead and just abides by the advice of the Prime Minister, he takes oath to preserve, protect and defend the constitution.
The new EC will conduct the next general election scheduled to be held in 2019.
The BNP chief will start her journey around 3pm from her Gulshan residence for her party’s Nayapaltan central office where other delegation members will be there, her media wing member Sayrul Kabir Khan told UNB.
Later, they all, led by Khaleda, will go to Bangabhaban for the dialogue with the President.
Party leaders wishing anonymity said the BNP delegation will discuss with the President on the basis of their chairperson’s proposal on constituting a stronger and neutral Commission.
They will also propose the names of five to six the country’s noted citizens, including female one, to include them in the search committee. Besides, they are likely to discuss the formation of an election time neutral government to facilitate the EC holding a fair and impartial election.
Meanwhile, BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Saturday said their party wants President Abdul Hamid to form a neutral Election Commission (EC) based on all parties’ opinions so that it can work independently ignoring the government’s any influence and pressure.
President Abdul Hamid is going to initiate formal talks with political parties over the formation of the new Election Commission (EC) through his first meeting with BNP this afternoon.
A 13-member BNP delegation, led by its Chairperson Khaleda Zia, will hold the talks with the President at Bangabhaban at 4:30pm. The President has taken the dialogue initiative as the tenure of the current Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad-led EC expires in February next.
Contacted, President’s Press Secretary Joynal Abedin told UNB, “The Honourable President will start dialogue with registered political parties today (Sunday) to form the new Election Commission. The first meeting will be held with BNP at 4.30 pm on the day.”
BNP has already sent the names of its 13-member delegation to hold the meeting with the President, Joynal added. He said the names include Khaleda Zia, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Moudud Ahmed, Jamiruddin Sircar, Mahbubur Rahman, Tariqul Islam, Rafiqul Islam Miah, Mirza Abbas, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Dr Abdul Moeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan and Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury. President will hold meetings with Jatiya Party on December 20 at 3pm, Liberal Democratic Party and Krishak Sramik Janata League on December 21 at 3pm and 4:3 pm respectively and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-Inu on December 22 at 3pm.
The Press Secretary said the President will hold meetings with other registered political parties in phases. The President will complete his dialogue with the registered political parties before he appoints the CEC and commissioners. Now there are 40 registered political parties in the country. The President Office has already sent letters to the five political parties in this regard.
On December 12, the letters were sent from Bangabhaban addressing the political parties’ general secretaries or secretaries general inviting them to hold dialogue with the President.”As per Article 118 of the constitution, the Honorable President has been empowered to appoint the chief election commissioner and not more than four election commissioners. As the tenure of the present election commission expires soon, the Honorable President has expressed interest to take opinions of the political parties to form the election commission,” reads the letter signed by President’s office secretary Shampad Barua. According to a source at Bangabhaban, the letters will be sent to some other political parties this week.
In 2012, then President Zillur Rahman appointed incumbent Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad to lead the five-member EC through a search committee after holding meetings with 23 registered political parties. The Awami league, BNP, Jatiya Party and other major political parties participated in the talks with the late President.
The debate on formation of the EC gathered pace when Khaleda Zia placed a 13-point proposal on November 18 for forming the new Commission and called for reconstituting it with representatives from all registered political parties or with representatives of all political parties that over different periods had representation in the national parliament.
About Khaleda’s proposal, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on December 3 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.”
Though the President is only a figurehead and just abides by the advice of the Prime Minister, he takes oath to preserve, protect and defend the constitution.
The new EC will conduct the next general election scheduled to be held in 2019.
The BNP chief will start her journey around 3pm from her Gulshan residence for her party’s Nayapaltan central office where other delegation members will be there, her media wing member Sayrul Kabir Khan told UNB.
Later, they all, led by Khaleda, will go to Bangabhaban for the dialogue with the President.
Party leaders wishing anonymity said the BNP delegation will discuss with the President on the basis of their chairperson’s proposal on constituting a stronger and neutral Commission.
They will also propose the names of five to six the country’s noted citizens, including female one, to include them in the search committee. Besides, they are likely to discuss the formation of an election time neutral government to facilitate the EC holding a fair and impartial election.
Meanwhile, BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Saturday said their party wants President Abdul Hamid to form a neutral Election Commission (EC) based on all parties’ opinions so that it can work independently ignoring the government’s any influence and pressure.
