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President Hamid emphasises people's trust in EC for fair polls
President Md Abdul Hamid has said the people need to trust the Election Commission to organise fair polls as he continues dialogue with political parties on forming the next electoral panel.
Published : 9 Jan 2017, 10:00 PM
Updated : 11 Jan 2017, 05:53 PM
He sat with a faction of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JaSoD), a Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (BaSoD) group, Bikalpadhara Bangladesh and Islami Andolan at the Bangabhaban on Monday.
After the meeting with the 12-member JaSoD delegation led by Sharif Nurul Ambia, the President's Press Secretary Joynal Abedin told reporters, "The president said the people's confidence m in the Election Commission is the most important thing to hold fair polls."
"He expressed the hope that the political parties' proposals and opinions will play a positive role in this regard," Abedin added.
In the talks with the BaSoD, the president said consensus among the political parties is important to settle national issues.
Earlier, he emphasised the practice of the culture of tolerance among political parties.
The JaSoD faction on Monday placed a five-point proposal.
Abedin said their proposals included forming a 'Search Committee' with former chief election commissioners to recommend names of pro-Liberation War persons for the new EC.
The JaSoD faction delegation also included Moin Uddin Khan Badal, Mushtaq Hossain, and Nazmul Haque Prodhan.
The BaSoD faction delegation of 10, led by its chief Khalequzzaman, proposed separate allocation for the EC in the national budget.
It also proposed making of separate law to form the commission and divide it in four levels - Upazila, district, division and centre.
The 16-strong delegation of Bikalpadhara was led by its President AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury.
It proposed to keep a former army chief along with a former chief justice, a former senior secretary, and representatives of women and professionals in the EC.
Badruddoza, a former president of Bangladesh, recently said there is no scope for the president to exercise the power to appoint election commissioners following the Constitution.
His party has proposed considering the prime minister's opinion in forming the new EC.
The Islami Andolan's 11-mermber delegation was headed by its chief Syed Muhammad Rezaul Karim.
Abedin said the party's proposals included forming a separate secretariat for the EC.
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