Staff Reporter :
The search committee for forming Election Commission (EC) is a process of deception. The incapable people are got appointed through this process. As a result the EC had completely failed in last two tenure. According to constitution there is a necessity to forming new law for EC. But a perfect EC could not ensure a free, fair and credible election. For that it needs to form a polls time government also.
In a webinar of an Online Roundtable discussion titled “Election Commission Recruitment Laws and relevant thoughts” organised by Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (SHUJAN) -Citizens for Good Governance-held on Monday, the country’s noted citizens made the comments.
Taking part in the webinor, senior Advocate Amirul Islam said we should do our work to show respect to the Constitution. There is a scope in accordance to Constitution to form an acceptable EC.
Gonoshasthaya Kendra Trusty Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury said it is not that the Constitution cannot be changed. If necessary, the constitution can be changed any time. He also thinks that a government that comes for three months during the election period will not be able to bring any change.
SHUJAN President M. Hafizuddin Khan said the electoral system of the country has been completely destroyed. No election is fair. People have seen the performance of two successive search committees. The achievements of these two committees are not satisfactory. Elections are not fair and acceptable under the incumbent commission. Voters don’t want to vote because they think there’s no point in voting. There needs a vigorous movement to make a law on the formation of the Election Commission.
SHUJAN secretary Badiul Alam Majumdar said in line with the Constitution, a law has to be made to form the election commission. However, this law is not enough. This law must be in the interest of the people on the basis of political consensus.
He said that the process of search committee cannot be done by non-partisan people. The committee usually finds the disqualified ones for which the last two election commissions have failed miserably.
Dhaka University Professor Dr Asif Nazrul said law is needed to form the EC. But the reality must be kept in mind.
He questioned if the present government and the police administration are the same, if a commission is formed with Sakhawat Hossain and Badiul Alam Majumder, will that commission be able to hold fair elections?
A strong election commission is formed, but they can not work, so what is the benefit? The police administration will have to undergo a major overhaul before the elections.
Is that possible in the existing structure? He further asked, added that for a fair election, changes must be made in the electoral system of government. It could be a caretaker government, it may be a national government or something else.
Advocate Shadin Malik, former EC Sakhawat Hossain, former cabinet secretary Ali Imam Mazumdar, former justice Abdul Motin, photographer Shahidul Alam, journalist Ajoy Dasgupta, Communist party leader Ruhin Hossain Prince and others spoke in the occasion.
