Parties ‘agree’ on speaker-led committee for Election Commission appointments

Ali Riaz has described the agreement as a “significant compromise” by parties

Political parties have reached an agreement on forming a five-strong selection committee, led by the parliament speaker, to appoint the chief election commissioner and other commissioners, according to the National Consensus Commission.

The commission’s Vice-Chairman Ali Riaz said on Wednesday that the discussion on the formation of the Election Commission (EC) had been completed, with all sides agreeing to a committee structure through amendment of Article 118 of the Constitution.

He was speaking at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka after 18th day of the second phase of the national dialogue with political parties.

The day's agenda included the Bangladesh Public Service Commission, the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General of Bangladesh, the Anti-Corruption Commission, and the ombudsman, but discussions focused solely on the EC.

The new proposal specifies that the EC will consist of a chief election commissioner and other commissioners as determined by law.

A selection committee, chaired by the parliament speaker, will be formed to nominate candidates.

The panel's members will include the deputy speaker (chosen from the opposition), the prime minister, the opposition leader and a judge from the Supreme Court Appellate Division nominated by the chief justice.

The proposal also says, “The committee will begin candidate search 90 days before the tenure of the incumbent commission ends.

“Qualifications, disqualifications, candidate calls and search methods will be determined by laws passed in parliament.”

The committee will thoroughly scrutinise the resumes of all proposed candidates and recommend one name for the chief election commissioner and one for each commissioner position to the president by unanimous decision.

The president will appoint them for a five-year term. The Parliament Secretariat, under the speaker, will provide institutional support to the committee.

The new proposal leaves subsections 2, 4, 5(Ka) and 6 of Article 118 unchanged but introduces a new clause under 5(Ka). This clause commits to creating a law and a code of conduct for the EC under parliamentary accountability.

Riaz described the agreement as a “significant compromise” by parties from their previous positions and said it paves the way for a truly independent and effective EC.

He expressed gratitude to all political groups for their responsible stance.

Riaz said it would be “possible” to finalise the National Charter by the end of July.

“We will continue our efforts and hope to soon reach a comprehensive National Charter based on consensus,” he added.