Bangladesh
EC Law JS body finalises EC formation bill after recommending changes in two sections
Own Correspondent, Dhaka, January 25: The parliamentary committee has finalised the bill or draft law raised in the parliament for the formation of Election Commission (EC) through a search committee. However, changes have been recommended in two sections.
The committee will recommend to pass it in the current session. It was finalised at the 18th meeting of the Standing Committee on the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs held at the Parliament House on Monday (January 24). The meeting was chaired by the chairman of the committee, Md. Shahiduzzaman Sarkar.
The meeting was attended by committee member and law minister Anisul Haque, Mostafizur Rahman, Md Shamsul Haque Tuku, Md Abdul Majid Khan, Shamim Haider Patwari, Gloria Jharna Sarkar, Rumin Farhana and Selim Altaf George.
The two recommendations are: Section 5 (c) on the qualifications of CECs and commissioners in the bill raised in Parliament states that in order to become a CEC and a commissioner, he must have at least 20 years of working experience in any important government, judicial, semi-government or private position. The parliamentary committee has recommended the inclusion of 'autonomous and other professions' in addition to government, judicial, semi-government or private posts in this section. In the case of disqualification, it is stated in section 6 (d) that if convicted of a criminal offense of moral turpitude and sentenced to at least two years imprisonment, he cannot become a CEC or a commissioner.
Chaning the "two-year imprisonment" point, the committee has recommended only "imprisonment". In other words, moral turpitude will be considered as disqualification in case of being a CEC or a commissioner if convicted for any term for a criminal offense.
Earlier, the bill was tabled in Parliament on January 23. According to the draft law, the work of the search committee will be carried out following the principles of transparency and impartiality. Recommendations will be made to the President for appointment to the posts of Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioner, taking into account the qualifications, experience, skills and reputation required by law.
The ‘Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioner Appointment Act, 2022’ will also give legitimacy to all the Election Commissions formed earlier through the Search Committee. The inquiry committee will recommend the names of two persons for each post to the CEC and the commissioners. The draft law states that the recommendation will be submitted to the President within 10 working days of the formation of the committee.
The bill states that the search committee may invite names from political parties and professional organizations to search for candidates for the posts of CEC and Election Commissioner.
