UNB, Dhaka :
A delegation of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on Wednesday placed a 17-point proposal during talks with President Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban, including formulation of a law in the current parliament for formation of the Election Commission. The delegation also handed over a list of names of some ‘neutral persons’ to the President to include them in the search committee. A 10-member LDP delegation, led by its president Oli Ahmed, held the meeting with the President from 3 pm to 3:30 pm as Abdul Hamid initiated formal talks with political parties over the formation of the new EC. His first meeting was with BNP on Dec 18.
The President has taken the dialogue initiative as the tenure of the current Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad-led EC expires in February next. “We’ve submitted a 17-point proposal to the Honourable President on behalf of our party to form a good and neutral Election Commission,” Oli told reporters emerging from Bangabhaban. He said they proposed the President to consider only those people who did not have any direct or indirect link with politics for making search committee members. “We’ve suggested making a former chief justice who didn’t have any direct or indirect connection with politics and didn’t hold any profitable post convener of the search committee,” the LDP chief said.
The LDPs proposal include kipping the EC independent, formulating a legal framework as per the constitution regarding the appointment of Chief Election Commissioner and other commissioners, constituting a separate Secretariat for EC and fixing the age limit of election commissioners and deploying army during voting and giving them power which police force enjoy to arrest troublemakers.
Briefing journalists about the meeting, President’s Press Secretary Joynal Abedin said President Abdul Hamid told the LDP delegation that there is no alternative to election in democracy. “The opinions of political parties will play an important role in forming a strong Election Commission (EC)… it’s possible to solve many problem through discussions though those are sometimes not possible to solve by enacting law,” Joynal Abedin quoted the President as telling the LDP delegation. Oli Ahmed, also former minister, presented his party’s proposals on the process of forming a search committee, he said.
A delegation of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on Wednesday placed a 17-point proposal during talks with President Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban, including formulation of a law in the current parliament for formation of the Election Commission. The delegation also handed over a list of names of some ‘neutral persons’ to the President to include them in the search committee. A 10-member LDP delegation, led by its president Oli Ahmed, held the meeting with the President from 3 pm to 3:30 pm as Abdul Hamid initiated formal talks with political parties over the formation of the new EC. His first meeting was with BNP on Dec 18.
The President has taken the dialogue initiative as the tenure of the current Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad-led EC expires in February next. “We’ve submitted a 17-point proposal to the Honourable President on behalf of our party to form a good and neutral Election Commission,” Oli told reporters emerging from Bangabhaban. He said they proposed the President to consider only those people who did not have any direct or indirect link with politics for making search committee members. “We’ve suggested making a former chief justice who didn’t have any direct or indirect connection with politics and didn’t hold any profitable post convener of the search committee,” the LDP chief said.
The LDPs proposal include kipping the EC independent, formulating a legal framework as per the constitution regarding the appointment of Chief Election Commissioner and other commissioners, constituting a separate Secretariat for EC and fixing the age limit of election commissioners and deploying army during voting and giving them power which police force enjoy to arrest troublemakers.
Briefing journalists about the meeting, President’s Press Secretary Joynal Abedin said President Abdul Hamid told the LDP delegation that there is no alternative to election in democracy. “The opinions of political parties will play an important role in forming a strong Election Commission (EC)… it’s possible to solve many problem through discussions though those are sometimes not possible to solve by enacting law,” Joynal Abedin quoted the President as telling the LDP delegation. Oli Ahmed, also former minister, presented his party’s proposals on the process of forming a search committee, he said.
