EC formation: BNF, IOJ in favour of search committee

The Bangladesh Nationalist Front (BNF) and the Islami Oikya Jote (IOJ) expressed their opinion in favour of a search committee to form the next election commission in a meeting with President Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban in the capital on Wednesday.

The president has been holding talks with different political parties since 20 December to find a way of forming the election commission as the tenure of the existing commission will end soon.

BNF, in the meeting, placed five names for the committee and IOJ put forth four recommendations for the next EC formation and the next parliamentary election.

"As the president has no alternative to the search committee, we placed five names for the committee," said BNF President Abul Kalam Azad.

Of the five, two are professors, one former army official, one former election commissioner, and the rest is a former inspector general of police.

The party, however, did not disclose the names. 

BNF also proposes to hold the next parliamentary election under an electoral government led by Sheikh Hasina. "It would be able to arrange a free and fair election," Azad added.

A seven-member team, led by Azad, took part in the talk with the president.

Meanwhile, IOJ suggested the president form the search committee with religious people who hold constitutional positions, and are acceptable.

It also called for framing an act to form the EC, strengthening the commission and increasing its freedom, and suspending the EC officials who were appointed under political consideration.

President Abdul Hamid, issuing a press statement after the discussion, said opinions of political parties were crucial to forming an acceptable election commissioner.

"Democracy should not be confined to polls. It should be practised in every sphere," he added.

With the latest two, the president has so far met with 8 political parties for the EC formation.