Sagar Biswas :
The issue of reconstituting the Election Commission through a search committee is now getting high importance in the country’s political circle, though the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party has termed the overall procedure as ruling Awami League’s “drama”.
The incumbent Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmed was appointed on February 9, 2012 and he has around four and a half months in hand to complete the five-year-tenure. Besides, tenure of four other Election Commissioners — Mohammad Abu Hafiz, Mohammad Abdul Mobarrak, Brigadier General [retd] Mohammad Zabed Ali and Mohammad Shahnewaz – will also end at the same time.
Significantly, most of the country’s political parties and civil society members have demanded to form an EC, which would be “acceptable” to all. And this issue drew the attention of the political circle against the backdrop of Law Minister Anisul Haque’s fresh hint to form the constitutional body through a search committee like 2012.
Expressing severe dissatisfaction, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir recently said: “We won’t expect a domestic EC. The countrymen want to see an EC through a search committee after having consultation with all political parties.”
Countering the statement, AL has asked the BNP not to stir up “unnecessary controversy” about the EC.
“President appoints the EC after consultations with all concerned. So, the commission appointed by the President must be acceptable to all,” AL General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam said on Thursday.
Some political parties, especially the BNP and civil society members, have turned down the ruling party’s claim, saying that it’s nothing but an eyewash. And it’s not possible to form a neutral and acceptable EC under the present Awami League government, they said. If an impartial and acceptable EC is not formed, then crisis will deepen in the future centering the next general elections.
When asked, Secretary of Sujan [a civil society organization] Badiul Alam Mazumdar told The New Nation on Saturday: “We think there must be a law or guideline before appointing the EC members. Their capacity, qualification, experience, etcetera will be elaborated in the law. Questions will be raised about their legitimacy if commissioners are appointed without constituting a law. “
According to article 118 [1] of the Constitution, the appointment of the CEC of Bangladesh and other Election Commissioners [if any] is made by the President. But there is no specific guideline in the Constitution about the criterion to choose the commissioners.
Referring the issue, the Sujan leader, however, advised to constitute a five-member search committee taking two persons from two big alliances, a senior judge from appellate division, and two persons from media.
On the other hand, General Secretary of Jatiya Party [main opposition in the parliament and partner of the government in the cabinet], Ruhul Amin Hawlader told The New Nation Saturday night: “We hope, the search committee’s chosen CEC will be acceptable to all and create a transparent image in the country…”
Pointing to the controversial image of EC, Hawlader further said: “There were some limitations of present CEC Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmed. In several areas he failed due to non-cooperation of local administration and police… However, we still hope that a capable person will be appointed in the post of CEC.”
Despite the constitutional bindings, the opposition BNP now wants a “dialogue” among the political parties and civil society members in formation of search committee to find out “all-acceptable” person for the post of EC.
BNP Vice-Chairman Shamsuzzaman Dudu recently said: “We’ve no other way except democracy… There is no other alternative except election. In this situation, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and BNP Chief Khaleda Zia should sit in a dialogue to get a solution of the present crisis.”
For the first time in the country’s history, late President Zillur Rahman took initiatives to form a search committee on January 22, 2012 to recommend names for EC. The Chief Justice had selected an appellate division judge as the head of the search committee. The other members of the committee were a high court judge, the comptroller and auditor general, and the chairman of public service commission.
At that time 23 political parties, including Awami League and opposition BNP, hold dialogues with President Zillur Rahman. And except BNP, all parties submitted names of their desired persons for the EC. The search committee short-listed 10 persons, from where the President had picked five for the EC.
