BSS, Dhaka :
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Hasina yesterday expressed her firm determination to protect the voting right of the people in the next general elections slated for 2019 saying all qualitative reforms in the country’s electoral laws were carried out during the rule of Awami League.
“All reforms, qualitative changes and lawful measures so far brought in the country’s electoral system were done during the rule of Awami League. We have extended all necessary support to strengthen the Election Commission. So none would be able to frustrate the democratic journey of Bangladesh,” she said.
The Prime Minister said this in her scripted reply to a question from female member Nur-e-Hasna Lily Chowdhury during Question-Answer Session of the Prime Minister in parliament yesterday.
Expressing her profound confidence in the wisdom and well-thought out decision of the President to constitute the new Election Commission, the prime minister hoped that the new commission would be able to discharge its duties with utmost neutrality and independently.
In this regard, the prime minister said her government is committed to extending all support to the Election Commission in holding free, fair and neutral elections.
The Prime Minister also suggested formulation of an appropriate law for appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and other commissioners in future in light of the directives of the country’s constitution.
“The present transparent and accountable process of formation of an independent and neutral election commission was not created overnight. It has a long history as people of the country had to come across a long way through struggle led by Awami League and shed huge blood for introducing the system,” the prime minister said.
The Prime Minister noted that the Representation of the People Order (RPO) was enacted during the time of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and under the RPO the first Jatiya Sangsad election was held in 1973.
After long time of the enactment of the RPO, she said, only a few ordinance/acts were promulgated to this effect. Most of the laws and ordinances were formulated during the 2009-2016 tenure of the Awami League, she added.
” As many as 32 ordinances and acts on national and local government polls were enacted during the tenure of the Awami League for holding free and fair election securing the people’s franchise,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said the Election Commission is an effective body having necessary power and legal authority like the election commissions in other democratic countries.
After the killing of Bangabandhu, military dictator Ziaur Rahman destroyed the constitutional democratic system which continued till December 6, 1990, she said.
Finally, country’s democratic system was restored through ceaseless movement of Awami League with the countrymen, the prime minister said.
“If we analyze the Bangladesh’s election history we would find that Begum Khaleda Zia and her preceding autocratic regimes manipulated the electoral system time and again,” she said.
Now the Election Commission can perform its responsibility with more power and capacity than any previous time, she said.
In this regard, the prime minister also laid importance on due role of the poling agents of the political parties in holding fair elections. Political parties must be careful while appointing polling agents at polling centres, she said.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Hasina yesterday expressed her firm determination to protect the voting right of the people in the next general elections slated for 2019 saying all qualitative reforms in the country’s electoral laws were carried out during the rule of Awami League.
“All reforms, qualitative changes and lawful measures so far brought in the country’s electoral system were done during the rule of Awami League. We have extended all necessary support to strengthen the Election Commission. So none would be able to frustrate the democratic journey of Bangladesh,” she said.
The Prime Minister said this in her scripted reply to a question from female member Nur-e-Hasna Lily Chowdhury during Question-Answer Session of the Prime Minister in parliament yesterday.
Expressing her profound confidence in the wisdom and well-thought out decision of the President to constitute the new Election Commission, the prime minister hoped that the new commission would be able to discharge its duties with utmost neutrality and independently.
In this regard, the prime minister said her government is committed to extending all support to the Election Commission in holding free, fair and neutral elections.
The Prime Minister also suggested formulation of an appropriate law for appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and other commissioners in future in light of the directives of the country’s constitution.
“The present transparent and accountable process of formation of an independent and neutral election commission was not created overnight. It has a long history as people of the country had to come across a long way through struggle led by Awami League and shed huge blood for introducing the system,” the prime minister said.
The Prime Minister noted that the Representation of the People Order (RPO) was enacted during the time of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and under the RPO the first Jatiya Sangsad election was held in 1973.
After long time of the enactment of the RPO, she said, only a few ordinance/acts were promulgated to this effect. Most of the laws and ordinances were formulated during the 2009-2016 tenure of the Awami League, she added.
” As many as 32 ordinances and acts on national and local government polls were enacted during the tenure of the Awami League for holding free and fair election securing the people’s franchise,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said the Election Commission is an effective body having necessary power and legal authority like the election commissions in other democratic countries.
After the killing of Bangabandhu, military dictator Ziaur Rahman destroyed the constitutional democratic system which continued till December 6, 1990, she said.
Finally, country’s democratic system was restored through ceaseless movement of Awami League with the countrymen, the prime minister said.
“If we analyze the Bangladesh’s election history we would find that Begum Khaleda Zia and her preceding autocratic regimes manipulated the electoral system time and again,” she said.
Now the Election Commission can perform its responsibility with more power and capacity than any previous time, she said.
In this regard, the prime minister also laid importance on due role of the poling agents of the political parties in holding fair elections. Political parties must be careful while appointing polling agents at polling centres, she said.
