The Election Commission (EC) faces great limitations in carrying out its responsibilities in the present situation in which true democracy was absent, BNP secretary-general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said yesterday, quoting the chief election commissioner (CEC).
“The CEC has admitted that they have limitations to a great extent under the country’s present condition in fully carrying out their responsibilities. Besides, the CEC expressed regret that the true face of democracy was absent in the country,” Mirza Fakhrul said.
Fakhrul was speaking to journalists after holding a dialogue with the EC led by CEC Nurul Huda at the Election Bhaban in the capital.
A 16-member delegation, including the BNP’s 12 standing committee members, sat with EC members in a prolonged dialogue lasting for two hours and 35 minutes, during which the BNP placed its proposals.
Replying to a query on the extent of the BNP’s optimism after the dialogue, Mirza Fakhrul said, “We don’t think there is any reason to be very optimistic under the government’s undemocratic attitude and the current political situation. However, indeed we are a bit optimistic.”
“The EC will do whatever is possible for it. It will play its role to hold fair elections,” he said, quoting the CEC.
The BNP has proposed the dissolution of Parliament and the holding of parliamentary polls under an impartial and supportive government.
“The EC has to ensure a
level playing field for all political parties and candidates. The commission has no scope to bypass its sacred constitutional responsibility,” the BNP secretary-general said.
The BNP has also proposed the deployment of the Army with magistracy power at each polling centre at least a week before the election. The defence services should be included in the definition of law enforcement forces under Section 2 (XIAA) of the Representation of the People Order (RPO), he added.
The BNP is against the use of any sort of electronic device like electronic voting machines (EVMs) or digital voting machines for casting votes during in the parliamentary polls.
The party has also urged the commission to take initiatives for the withdrawal of all cases against its party leaders, including BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, which were lodged during the 1/11 government.
The party said killings, forced disappearances, harassment, and threats against Opposition leaders and worker have to be stopped and the right to hold meetings and democratic political activities ensured.
The EC itself has to take the initiative to hold effective dialogues between the government and the political parties, he said.
About delimitation, the BNP demanded the restoration of the delimitation of parliamentary constituencies done before the general elections in 2008.
“The EC has to take the opinions and suggestions of all political parties whether any changes are necessary for the delimitation,” Mirza Fakhrul said.
The BNP’s 18-point package of proposals also said the CEC or any other commissioner should not alone take any decision during elections but the full commission must take decisions. The areas where the party wants such consensus is the introduction of watermark on ballot papers for security, inclusion of expatriates in the voter list, ensuring the impartiality of the EC’s observers (both local and international), the use of CCTV cameras in the polling centres, keeping mobile networks open during elections, and the repealing of Section 57 of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Act to ensure freedom of the press.
Fakhrul said, “The BNP believes that the EC’s dialogue should not be a mere eyewash. It should not be a farcical dialogue. The EC is an independent constitutional body. It is its sacred duty to present the nation a participatory, free, fair and acceptable election.”