Debar political parties linked with religious extremism, JP urges CEC

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No chief executives of the country have yet formulated any laws for appointment to constitutional posts lest they lose the liberty of work at their sweet will if such laws are made, said Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Dr ATM Shamsul Huda Thursday, reports UNB.
"Because their hands and legs get locked if it (law) is made. Work can't be done as per (their) will," he said at the dialogue with Jatiya Party (Ershad), citing the article 118 of the Constitution in this regard.
A 15-member JP (Ershad) delegation, led by its Acting Chairman Anisul Islam Mahmud, sat with the EC to discuss draft reform proposals on electoral laws as well as dos and don'ts for the political parties in the country's changing political paradigm.
The Election Commission (EC) has prepared a draft on rules for recruitment in constitutional posts which would be published later on, CEC Huda said, replying to the Jatiya Party demand for neutral appointment of capable persons to the constitutional posts.
"In the draft, we have a proposal that one (among all the members of such constitutional body) should have to be a woman," he said.
Election commissioners M Sohul Hussain and Sakhawat Hussain were present at the dialogue, where the latest issue of trial of war criminals and outlawing religion-based politics came up, among other politico-electoral matters.
The Jatiya Party delegation proposed to the EC to form a special parliamentary committee to process the appointments to all the constitutional posts, including the Election Commission.
"A parliamentary committee should be formed to appoint all the members of Election Commission. The committee will place a panel of names before the parliament and there will be an open hearing on the names," Mahmud said during the discussion.
Based on the hearing, selected names will be sent to the President and they would be made Election Commissioners with the approval of the President, he said, adding that the process should be followed for the appointments to all of the constitutional bodies.
CEC Huda agreed, and said the power of the executive has increased.
"We want to see parliament in its appropriate position. Formulating parliamentary committee and the idea of open hearing is good system as it would be transparent."
He said this process would place the right person in the right place, as political considerations screen out efficient people.