AL for new law to form EC, strengthening it through financial, tech capacity increase

The Awami League has proposed enacting a new law in light of the Constitution to form the Election Commission and strengthen it by increasing its financial and technical capacity and ensuring its neutrality.

On the last day of a series of the president's dialogues with registered political parties, the ruling party also pitched more and more use of EVM and other technologies in elections to make them more transparent.

Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina led her 10-member delegation at the dialogue with President Abdul Hamid at the Durbar Hall at Bangabhaban in the city.

The president's dialogue with registered political parties ran for 17 days. 

"The need for enactment of a law to constitute the EC in accordance with Article 118 of the Constitution has been raised with the president in the dialogue", Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader later told reporters at a press conference at the party's Bangabandhu Avenue central office.

The government has already decided to prepare a draft law in this regard, he added.

Earlier in the day, the Cabinet, chaired by PM Sheikh Hasina, approved the draft of the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners' Appointment Act.

Asked whether the Election Commission would be formed under a law or through a search committee, Obaidul Quader said, "The law cannot be passed quickly by means of any magic…Nothing is impossible, so wait and see.

"Every effort will be made to pass the draft EC act in the current session of parliament."

Apart from law enactment, the Awami League has made three more proposals in the dialogue.

Obaidul Quader said, "In accordance with the provisions of Article 118 of the Constitution, the President shall appoint the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners."

"The Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners in the new EC shall be appointed by the President in such a manner as he deems fit," he said, adding that the ruling party will have full support to the president in this regard.

The Awami League also proposed using the constitutional convention while forming the previous two ECs in 2012 and 2017. 

"The Awami League has established a constitutional convention to establish political consensus on EC formation. That is, forming a 'search committee' to establish the commission with views and participation of all," he said. 

The AL general secretary added that more use of information technology in all polls is necessary for a free, fair and transparent election. 

The dialogue with the President, which started on 20 December last year, with the registered political parties in the country has ended on Monday through the dialogue with AL.  

According to the EC data, a total of 39 political parties are registered, of which the President invited 32 parties for the dialogue.

Most of the parties that attended the talks, have called for the formulation of a law on EC formation according to the Article 118 of the constitution.

A similar initiative of presidential talks with the political parties ahead of the formation of a new EC was also taken in 2012 and 2016 and formed the two election commissions through the search committees following the dialogues. 

President thanks government for approving the proposed EC formation law

Welcoming the AL delegation to Bangabhaban, the President said the EC should be formed as per the constitution. 

He said discussions have already been held with all political parties and the next steps will be taken to form an EC in line with the recommendation of the discussions. 

The law will be passed in the Jatiya Sangsad as soon as possible and it would reflect public opinions eventually, he hoped.

The outcome of the president's dialogue

The president's dialogue has lost glamour as multiple political parties boycotted it. Of the 32 invited political parties, seven – including Bangladesh Socialist Party, Communist Party Bangladesh, Islamic Andolon Bangladesh, Liberal Democratic Party, BNP, National Socialist Party and Biplobi Workers Party-- have boycotted the dialogue labelling it "meaningless".

They believed that the dialogue could not bring any result as the President had no power according to the constitution.

No fruitful results come from the proposals they made at previous dialogues in 2012 and 2016. This dialogue also may be fruitless like those.