BNP’s dialogue with EC begins

BNP senior leaders on Sunday joined dialogue with the Election Commission (EC) to place their party’s 20-point proposal over holding the next general election in a free and fair manner.

The dialogue began around 11am on at the conference room of Nirbachon Bhaban in the city with Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda in the chair.

A 16-member BNP delegation, led by its secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, joined the talks.

The other members of the delegation are BNP standing committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Moudud Ahmed, Jamiruddin Sircar, Tariqul Islam, Mahbubur Rahman, Rafiqul Islam Miah, Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Mirza Abbas, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Nazrul Islam Khan, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, chairperson’s advisers ASM Abdul Halim, Ismail Jabiullah and Abdur Rashid Sarker and senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.

On Friday last, Fakhrul said they will place a set of their proposals before the EC in written during the dialogue for holding a credible general election.

He said they will clearly propose dissolving parliament before the election and deploying army during the polls. “We’ll also propose what necessary actions the administration needs to take after the announcement of the election schedule. We’ll also propose amending the RPO and introducing new rules for taking votes and holding the polls, and appointing observers.” 

Fakhrul said they will not present their framework on an election-time supportive government in the dialogue. “We’ll give them an idea about it. We’ll also say a fair election won’t be possible without it. We’ll unveil our framework later.”

Party insiders said the BNP delegation will also seek a level-playing field and restoration of the pre-2008 delimitation of 300 parliamentary seats.

They said  their proposals may also include amending the RPO to define the armed forces as the law enforcement agencies and giving them magistracy power, restoring the pre-2008 delimitation of 300 parliamentary constituencies, empowering the EC to take steps for creating a level-playing field before the announcement of election schedule, keeping some important ministries like home, public administration, foreign affairs, education and home, under the EC during the polls, not engaging partisan officials in election activities and not including controversial and partisan originations and their partisan representatives as election observers.

Besides, the party is expected to present a strong logic not to use EVM in the polls and the party's observations and recommendations about the voter list updating and some other EC activities.

The Election Commission on August 24 last started dialogue with 40 registered political parties to receive their opinions over the EC's preparation for the next national election likely to be held in December 2018. So far, the Commission has held dialogues with 32 parties. 

The EC will also hold talks with Awami League on October 18.

Source: unb