Workers Party places 6 proposals

President Md Abdul Hamid has said if the quality is not ensured in politics, it would be very difficult for politicians to do politics in the future as the left-leaning Workers Party of Bangladesh held talks with him at Bangabhaban placing six proposals to president over EC formation.

“Politics is for the welfare of the people...Political parties need to build the right public opinion at the grassroots level to ensure quality in politics,” Press Secretary Joynal Abedin quoted the president as saying after the dialogue with the Workers Party.

A seven-member delegation of the Workers Party of Bangladesh led by its President Rashed Khan Menon, took part in the hour-long meeting with the president on Tuesday, on the sixth day of the ongoing dialogue with the political parties, the press secretary told BSS.

Welcoming the delegation at the Bangabhaban, the president sought the cooperation of all political parties for the formation of an independent, neutral, and acceptable Election Commission.

Abedin said the delegation thanked the president for taking the initiative to hold talks with the political parties to form the commission. 

The six-point proposals include enacting a new law, ensuring proper implementation of electoral laws so that the commission could function independently, and seeking opinions of civil society representatives in this perspective.

Earlier, a series of dialogues were held with the participation of political parties ahead of the ninth, 10th, and 11th parliamentary polls.

The president has the authority to appoint the chief election commissioner and up to four election commissioners.

In the last few terms, the head of the state formed the Election Commission on the basis of the recommendations of the search committee.

The current EC’s five-year term will expire on February 14 next year.

The president will form a new Election Commission, under which the 12th parliamentary elections will be held.