JSD pleads for recasting political system, amending Constitution

---

Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD-Rab) at its dialogue with the Election Commission (EC) Monday pleaded for recasting the outmoded political system and amending the Constitution for a fresh start of the nation on the democratic path, reports UNB.
"A Constitution Amendment Committee should be formed for it," JSD general secretary Abdul Malek Ratan told reporters after holding the talks with the EC on draft reform proposals on electoral laws.
Striking an identical note during the discussion, Chief Election Commissioner Dr ATM Shamsul Huda said that unholy politics should have an end and sound politics should be done for overall development of the country.
"We want to present the country something good… We don't want to see again a situation under which the state of emergency was declared in the country…," he said. The CEC, however, told the JSD delegation that considering the political, economic and social context of the country such a reform should be undertaken that could be implemented.
The three-hour-long meeting was the EC's fifth round of consultation since September 12 when the dialogue was initiated as part of the ongoing reforms undertaken by the present caretaker government, against the backdrop of the recent political and electoral crises in the country.
Led by general secretary Ratan, the 11-member JSD delegation also proposed that the EC should allocate election symbols to the political parties through lottery during every election instead of permanent allocation so people vote for the candidate and not for a particular symbol.
They also suggested introducing a rule for using transparent ballot box for polling, reducing the political party registration fee to Tk 5000 from Tk 25,000 and ensuring the right of franchise of expatriates.
"The tendency of casting vote considering the contestants' qualifications and political activities would increase instead of casting vote blindly on the symbols if the symbols are allotted through lottery to the political parties interested in taking part in elections," Ratan told reporters.
Asked about their stance on the question of banning religion-based political parties, the JSD general secretary said the parties "nationally identified as parties of plunderers, terrorists and war criminals" should not get invitation for dialogue with the EC. And they should not be allowed to get registered with the EC or take part in elections.However, Ratan declined to comment on banning the electoral symbol 'scale', which Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh is used in every election, as it is an issue pending with the High Court.Earlier, the EC has sat with four political parties -- Islamic Oikya Jote (IOJ), Krishak Sramik Janata League (KSJL), Ganatantri Party and Jatiya Party (Manju).
Excepting the IOJ, they have all suggested a ban on any religion-based political party.The parties also suggested the EC not to allot the electoral symbol 'scale' to Jamaat since it is recognized as an emblem of justice all over the world and "there is no relation of justice with Jamaat".
The JSD leaders suggested that the contestants not spend any money beyond their deposit with the EC for electoral campaign and the EC arrange same campaign materials and projection meetings on a same stage for all the contestants of each constituency.
They also proposed to delimit the electoral constituencies maintaining the proportion of voter numbers and the difference of voters could not be more than 10,000 from one constituency to another anyway.
Suggestion was also made for a staggered holding of the polls over seven days instead of one day because law-and- order situation as well as safety could be ensured easily in every polling station in this way.
Election Commissioners M Sohul Hussain and Brig. Gen. (retd) M Sakhawat Hussain were also present at the meeting. The EC will sit for dialogue with Jamaat-e-Islami on Oct 25.