Bangladesh
Election Commission Awami League in favor of the search committee to form the Election Commission
Dhaka, September 2: The term of the current Election Commission is coming to an end next February. Talks have already started on the formation of a new commission. The BNP has said it will send a letter to the President with a proposal in this regard.
"If the Election Commission is formed following the previous procedure, it will not be acceptable to us. We are thinking, we will make our proposal to the President in time," the BNP Secretary General said.
Ruling Awami League leaders say the current election commission has been formed through a search committee in consultation with all parties. This is the transparent process. The Election Commission will be formed in the future following this transparent process. Only during the tenure of Sheikh Hasina's government, the Election Commission has been formed through a search committee after discussions with all parties on the initiative of the President. No other government has done this before. Even the BNP did not do it. In their time, there has been much controversy over the appointment of Justice Aziz.
The current Election Commission was formed in 2017. At that time, the President held discussions with all parties, including Awami League and BNP. A five-member commission headed by KM Nurul Huda was formed through a search committee based on the suggestions of all. The term of the commission is coming to an end on February 14. Before that, the names of the commissioners including the chief election commissioner have to be finalized.
It is learned that the formal work for the formation of the new election commission will start in January. Discussions have already started in the political arena. The issue was discussed at a meeting of the BNP standing committee. The party's secretary general has also spoken to the media. Those in power have also expressed their views on the basis of this.
Awami League joint general secretary Mahbub-ul Alam Hanif told Jago News, "Our current election commission has been formed in a very transparent process. His Excellency the President formed a search committee in consultation with all political parties. The Election Commission has been formed by selecting from the proposed names of all the political parties through that search committee. This is the most transparent process. When the term of this commission expires, the election commission will be formed in the future as well."
"There is no need for Mirza Fakhrul or anyone to write letters regarding this. Have the people of the country forgotten about their Aziz Commission? The Awami League has never been a dramatist or a believer in such an election commission. The Awami League always believes in a transparent process and follows it," he said.
Awami League Information and Research Secretary Dr Selim Mahmud told Jago News, “This issue was not discussed in the party forum. This is the prerogative of the President. A process has already been followed (formation of search committees in consultation with all parties and appointment in the light of their proposals). Maybe that will be the case."
A central leader of the Awami League told Jago News, "Since the specific law has not been passed yet. We will, as always, request the President to set up a search committee. In other words, it will be done by His Excellency the President through customs and principles. Before forming a search committee, you may call the presidents and general secretaries of all the parties again. However, the process will start in January."
