BNP Search committee for next EC

Khaleda to select five members

Talks with President slated for Sunday

The BNP has left it to party chairperson Khaleda Zia to select the names of distinguished persons who could be on the "search committee" for the next Election Commission. The list will be submitted to President Abdul Hamid, according to party sources.
The chairperson was given the responsibility at a meeting with senior party leaders at her Gulshan office on Tuesday night.
The meeting also discussed the latest political situation and the Narayanganj City Corporation (NCC) polls, where Sakhawat Hossain Khan is contesting as the party’s mayoral candidate.
The BNP secretary general, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, said the meeting primarily discussed the issue of the scheduled meeting with the President.
Asked whether they would submit the names of distinguished persons for the search committee, he said they would finalise it before the meeting slated for December 18.
On selection of the party delegation for the meeting with the President, he said it is yet to be decided.
Standing committee member Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said they decided to join the meeting proposed by the President. “The meeting decided to attend the talks with the President after a threadbare discussion on the issue,” he said. He said the party would be prepared to submit the names for the search committee, if the President asks for it.

“Madam (Khaleda) has been given the responsibility of selecting the names of distinguished persons,” he added. Insiders said Khaleda Zia would lead a 10-member delegation at the talks with the President.
The other members of the delegation will be from the party’s standing committee, and would include secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. The party’s senior joint secretary general, Ruhul Kabir, can also be accommodated in it, said a Gulshan office source.
The President has invited five political parties, including the BNP, for talks on reconstitution of the EC.  The first meeting will be held with the BNP at 4.30 pm on December 18 at Bangabhaban. The President will hold meetings with other registered political parties in phases, according to the office of the President.
In 2012, then President Zillur Rahman appointed the present Chief Election Commissioner, Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad, to lead the five-member EC through a search committee after holding meetings with political parties.
The tenure of the current EC ends in February. The new EC will conduct the next general election scheduled to be held in 2019.
On November 18, the BNP chairperson placed a 13-point proposal for the formation of the new EC and called for reconstituting the EC in consultation with representatives of all registered political parties or with representatives of all political parties who, over different periods, had representation in Parliament.
The five-member search committee is one of the 13 proposals, which the party says, will propose names of the next Chief Election Commissioner and other commissioners to the President.

BNP Search committee for next EC

Khaleda to select five members

Talks with President slated for Sunday

The BNP has left it to party chairperson Khaleda Zia to select the names of distinguished persons who could be on the search committee for the next Election Commission. The list will be submitted to President Abdul Hamid, according to party sources. The chairperson was given the responsibility at a meeting with senior party leaders at her Gulshan office on Tuesday night. The meeting also discussed the latest political situation and the Narayanganj City Corporation (NCC) polls, where Sakhawat Hossain Khan is contesting as the partys mayoral candidate. The BNP secretary general, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, said the meeting primarily discussed the issue of the scheduled meeting with the President. Asked whether they would submit the names of distinguished persons for the search committee, he said they would finalise it before the meeting slated for December 18. On selection of the party delegation for the meeting with the President, he said it is yet to be decided. Standing committee member Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said they decided to join the meetingproposed by the President. The meeting decided to attend the talks with the President after a threadbare discussion on the issue, he said. He said the party would be prepared to submit the names for the search committee, if the President asks for it. Madam (Khaleda) has been given the responsibility of selecting the names of distinguished persons, he added. Insiders said Khaleda Zia would lead a 10-member delegation at the talks with the President. The other members of the delegation will be from the partys standing committee, and would include secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. The partys senior joint secretary general, Ruhul Kabir, can also be accommodated in it, said a Gulshan office source. The President has invited five political parties, including the BNP, for talks on reconstitution of the EC. The first meeting will be held with the BNP at 4.30 pm on December 18 at Bangabhaban. The President will hold meetings with other registered political parties in phases, according to the office of the President. In 2012, then President Zillur Rahman appointed the present Chief Election Commissioner, Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad, to lead the five-member EC through a search committee after holding meetings with political parties. The tenure of the current EC ends in February. The new EC will conduct the next general election scheduled to be held in 2019. On November 18, the BNP chairperson placed a 13-point proposal for the formation of the new EC and called for reconstituting the EC in consultation with representatives of all registered political parties or with representatives of all political parties who, over different periods, had representation in Parliament. The five-member search committee is one of the 13 proposals, which the party says, will propose names of the next Chief Election Commissioner and other commissioners to the President.