Draft rule for freeing EC Secretariat from PMO to be sent to CA soon
Tuesday, 5 June 2007
The Election Commission (EC) is going to submit a draft rule to the Chief Adviser for separation of the EC Secretariat from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) this week, in tune with the ongoing electoral reform.
"The draft will be finalised within two or three days... It would be sent to the Chief Adviser (CA) within this week," Election Commissioner M Sohul Hussain told reporters at his office Monday afternoon, reports UNB.
He said the law section of the EC has been asked to prepare a draft on what should be done to free the EC Secretariat from the PMO.
It is a longstanding demand meant for enabling the EC to act on its own free will in holding elections, as electoral issues led to a grave political crisis in the country.
"The government could do it (free the EC Secretariat) promulgating ordinance or also changing the Rules of Business," the commissioner said.
Asked whether the EC is not sitting with law specialists to discuss the issue of freeing EC Secretariat from the PMO, he answered in the negative, on grounds that even there would not be any need to amend the Constitution.
"There will be scrutiny to see whether the task can be done by promulgating an ordinance or changing the Rules of Business."
Replying to a query about the EC Secretariat's accountability in case it could be free from government control (PMO's control), the commissioner said the EC Secretariat is an independent institution.
The EC Secretariat might be accountable to the PMO since the secretariats that are not accountable to any ministry are accountable to the PMO.
About what would be the basic change between the present EC Secretariat and the EC Secretariat free from PMO, Sohul Hossain said the EC Secretariat would not be dependent on the government in connection with recruiting its officials then as it is now.
"Even then, the Public Service Commission (PSC) will take the recruiting examinations, but the EC will take all the decisions."
Asked whether the EC Secretariat is independent, he said they are not thinking that it is under anyone's control. They are working independently. Still they took the step of freeing the EC Secretariat considering the future.
"We want the EC Secretariat to be independent... The government also wants that, as well as the people."
About the media reports published Monday that the EC was now considering alternative rather than sitting with the political parties to discuss the draft reform proposals of concerned electoral laws, the election commissioner said they still were hopeful about sitting with the political parties.
"We said the gazette of the draft proposal would be notified in July... This is only June... Still there is enough time in our hand."
Asked whether the ban on indoor politics would not be lifted, Sohul Hussain posed a question: what else could be done. "We got a lot of elements after sitting with the civil society and media... Besides, the political personalities also discussed with us individually."
The election commissioner said they asked the law section of the EC Monday to include the proposals of both the civil society and media in the draft reform proposals on the electoral laws.
"The draft will be finalised within two or three days... It would be sent to the Chief Adviser (CA) within this week," Election Commissioner M Sohul Hussain told reporters at his office Monday afternoon, reports UNB.
He said the law section of the EC has been asked to prepare a draft on what should be done to free the EC Secretariat from the PMO.
It is a longstanding demand meant for enabling the EC to act on its own free will in holding elections, as electoral issues led to a grave political crisis in the country.
"The government could do it (free the EC Secretariat) promulgating ordinance or also changing the Rules of Business," the commissioner said.
Asked whether the EC is not sitting with law specialists to discuss the issue of freeing EC Secretariat from the PMO, he answered in the negative, on grounds that even there would not be any need to amend the Constitution.
"There will be scrutiny to see whether the task can be done by promulgating an ordinance or changing the Rules of Business."
Replying to a query about the EC Secretariat's accountability in case it could be free from government control (PMO's control), the commissioner said the EC Secretariat is an independent institution.
The EC Secretariat might be accountable to the PMO since the secretariats that are not accountable to any ministry are accountable to the PMO.
About what would be the basic change between the present EC Secretariat and the EC Secretariat free from PMO, Sohul Hossain said the EC Secretariat would not be dependent on the government in connection with recruiting its officials then as it is now.
"Even then, the Public Service Commission (PSC) will take the recruiting examinations, but the EC will take all the decisions."
Asked whether the EC Secretariat is independent, he said they are not thinking that it is under anyone's control. They are working independently. Still they took the step of freeing the EC Secretariat considering the future.
"We want the EC Secretariat to be independent... The government also wants that, as well as the people."
About the media reports published Monday that the EC was now considering alternative rather than sitting with the political parties to discuss the draft reform proposals of concerned electoral laws, the election commissioner said they still were hopeful about sitting with the political parties.
"We said the gazette of the draft proposal would be notified in July... This is only June... Still there is enough time in our hand."
Asked whether the ban on indoor politics would not be lifted, Sohul Hussain posed a question: what else could be done. "We got a lot of elements after sitting with the civil society and media... Besides, the political personalities also discussed with us individually."
The election commissioner said they asked the law section of the EC Monday to include the proposals of both the civil society and media in the draft reform proposals on the electoral laws.