EC formation panel to seek names from parties

A search committee set up to recommend names for the appointment of the chief election commissioner and other commissioners will seek names from registered political parties to this end.

"But, the search committee will not sit in any meeting with the political parties. The parties will be able to send their proposed names via email," said Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam while briefing journalists on the outcome of the committee's maiden meeting at the Judges' Lounge of the Supreme Court.

Apart from the registered political parties, if anyone wants to send names on their own, they can do so, said the cabinet secretary.

The Cabinet Division is providing secretarial assistance to the committee formed on Saturday with Justice Obaidul Hasan as its head.

Khandker Anwarul Islam further said that the search committee will have 15 working days, till 24 February, and hoped that the names will be recommended for the formation of the next Election Commission. 

The term of the current Election Commission will expire on 14 February. When journalists drew his attention to the issue, he said if there was an obligation to form an election commission before 14 February, then the names would be sent before that. 

He said that the search committee would meet again at the Judges' Lounge of the Supreme Court at 4.30pm on Tuesday and the matter would be discussed if necessary.

He added that three meetings – two on Saturday and one on Sunday – would be held with civil society representatives, media personalities and experts.

The committee will also receive consultations from them and if they have any suggestions, those will be considered, he said.

With everyone's opinion, the committee will take a decision based on the qualifications and disqualifications set in the Election Commission formation law and select the names of 10 people, he added.

Asked about what was discussed in the first meeting, the cabinet secretary said the committee had just set its next course of action on what basis the activities will be conducted in the days to come.

The other members of the six-strong search committee are Justice SM Quddus Zaman (chief justice nominated), Auditor General and Controller of Bangladesh Mohammad Muslim Chowdhury (ex officio member), Bangladesh Public Service Commission Chairman Md Sohrab Hossain (ex officio member), and former election commissioner Muhammad Sohul Hossain and author Anwara Syed Haque (president-nominated).

All members of the committee were present at the first meeting.