Awami League, 10 other parties support EC proposal
Saturday, 8 March 2008
Only 11 among the 15 political parties that sat with the Election Commission (EC) for talks on electoral reforms have agreed to ensure at least 33 per cent representation of women in their party committees by 2020, a condition the Commission likes to set for the parties for having registration, reports UNB.
The EC wants political parties to increase representation of women in their committees in a bid to empower women politically.
The 11 parties that have given nod to the EC proposal are Bangladesh Awami League, Bikolpo Dhara Bangladesh (BDB), Samyobadi Dol of Bangladesh (ML), Workers Party of Bangladesh, Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), Jatiya Party (Ershad), National Awami Party (Nap-Muzaffar), Jatiya Samajtantrik Dol (Rab), Jatiya Party (JP), Gonotantrik Party and Krishak Sramik Jonota League (KSJL).
However, Islami Oikya Jote (IOJ) directly and Jammat Islam-e-Bangladesh indirectly opposed the proposal. Jatiya Samajtantrik Dol (JSD) suggested the EC to advance the time to 2015, while Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) said that it should be by 2028.
Talking to the news agency, joint secretary of the Delwar-led faction of BNP Nazrul Islam Khan said it would not be wise to make a condition for this right now. "We want empowerment of women and their equal participation in politics. But, we don't think that any party will accept it if it is made obligatory," he said.
But, secretary general of the reformist faction of BNP Maj (retd) Hafizuddin said they think it should be done gradually. "It should be 20 per cent at this moment, which can be increased gradually in the future," he said.
BNP is one of the two major political parties in the country that has only 15 women in its 269-member central committee and only one woman --party chairperson Khaleda Zia-in its 15-member presidium committee.
"We have not yet decided the method how the women representation in party committees will be monitored. Besides, dialogue is still pending with one party (BNP)," Election Commissioner M Sakhawat Hussain told the news agency.
Bangladesh Awami League, the other major political party, has only three women in its 12-member presidium committee, while only seven women in its 68-member central committee.
"It's their (EC) proposal. It's the parties that will take the decision," Jamaat secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid told the news agency after their dialogue with the EC on February 26. The party already has 52 women in its 251-member central Majlish-e-Shura, the highest policymaking body of the party.
Among the 15 political parties, only IOJ suggested the EC to drop the provision. "There is no women representation in any Islamic party," IOJ secretary general M Abdul Latif Nejami told the agency.
After their dialogue with the EC on February 25, JSD leader Shirin Akhter said, "We suggested the Commission to advance the time to 2015. By the time, there will be two national elections and we'll be able to do the job. The empowerment of women will be delayed if the pressure is not there."
JSD only has three women in its 101-member central executive committee and one in its 15-member standing committee.
The EC wants political parties to increase representation of women in their committees in a bid to empower women politically.
The 11 parties that have given nod to the EC proposal are Bangladesh Awami League, Bikolpo Dhara Bangladesh (BDB), Samyobadi Dol of Bangladesh (ML), Workers Party of Bangladesh, Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), Jatiya Party (Ershad), National Awami Party (Nap-Muzaffar), Jatiya Samajtantrik Dol (Rab), Jatiya Party (JP), Gonotantrik Party and Krishak Sramik Jonota League (KSJL).
However, Islami Oikya Jote (IOJ) directly and Jammat Islam-e-Bangladesh indirectly opposed the proposal. Jatiya Samajtantrik Dol (JSD) suggested the EC to advance the time to 2015, while Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) said that it should be by 2028.
Talking to the news agency, joint secretary of the Delwar-led faction of BNP Nazrul Islam Khan said it would not be wise to make a condition for this right now. "We want empowerment of women and their equal participation in politics. But, we don't think that any party will accept it if it is made obligatory," he said.
But, secretary general of the reformist faction of BNP Maj (retd) Hafizuddin said they think it should be done gradually. "It should be 20 per cent at this moment, which can be increased gradually in the future," he said.
BNP is one of the two major political parties in the country that has only 15 women in its 269-member central committee and only one woman --party chairperson Khaleda Zia-in its 15-member presidium committee.
"We have not yet decided the method how the women representation in party committees will be monitored. Besides, dialogue is still pending with one party (BNP)," Election Commissioner M Sakhawat Hussain told the news agency.
Bangladesh Awami League, the other major political party, has only three women in its 12-member presidium committee, while only seven women in its 68-member central committee.
"It's their (EC) proposal. It's the parties that will take the decision," Jamaat secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid told the news agency after their dialogue with the EC on February 26. The party already has 52 women in its 251-member central Majlish-e-Shura, the highest policymaking body of the party.
Among the 15 political parties, only IOJ suggested the EC to drop the provision. "There is no women representation in any Islamic party," IOJ secretary general M Abdul Latif Nejami told the agency.
After their dialogue with the EC on February 25, JSD leader Shirin Akhter said, "We suggested the Commission to advance the time to 2015. By the time, there will be two national elections and we'll be able to do the job. The empowerment of women will be delayed if the pressure is not there."
JSD only has three women in its 101-member central executive committee and one in its 15-member standing committee.