President to hear Awami League views on next EC on Jan 11

Six political parties, including the ruling Awami League, have been invited to the fourth round of Bangabhaban talks on the constitution of the next Election Commission.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 2 Jan 2017, 07:34 PM
Updated : 11 Jan 2017, 05:54 PM

The president's Press Secretary Md Joynal Abedin told bdnews24.com on Monday that the invitation letters have been sent to the offices of the parties.

President Md Abdul Hamid will sit with the Awami League at 4pm on Jan 11.

He will sit with Ganatantri Party and Ganaforum on Jan 8, and Bangldesher Samajtantrik Dal (BaSoD), Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JaSoD - led by Nurul Islam Ambia), and Islami Andolan on Jan 9.

The president's dialogue with the political parties on forming the new EC started with meeting the BNP on Dec 18.

Hamid has so far called 22 political parties to the dialogue.

A Bangabhaban official, requesting anonymity, told bdnews24.com that the dialogue may end in the talks with the Awami League.

The president initiated the discussions as the tenure of the current one, led by Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad, is ending in February.

The next EC will supervise the next parliamentary elections scheduled for early 2019.

Besides the BNP, the president also sat with the Jatiya Party, Liberal Democratic Party, Krishak-Shramik-Janata League, JaSoD (led by Hasanul Haq Inu), Workers Party, Bangladesh Nationalist Front (BNF), Islami Oikya Jote, and Jatiya Party (JP).

He will meet Tarikat Federation and Bangladesh Jatiya Party on Tuesday and later Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), National Awami Party (NAP), Samyobadi Dal, Bikalpadhara Bangladesh and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD).

On Monday, Hamid met the Jatiya Party (JP - led by Environment and Forests Minister Anwar Hossain Manju).

After the talks with the 16-member JP delegation, President Hamid said consensus among the political parties is a must to have free and fair polls, according to Press Secretary Abedin.

He also urged the political parties to practise the culture of tolerating others' views.

The JP delegation proposed appointing the election commissioners gradually.