Workers Party, JSD to urge EC not to register religion-based parties
Wednesday, 26 September 2007
Workers Party and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) at a joint meeting in the city Tuesday decided to urge the Election Commission (EC) not to register any religion-based political party, including Jamaat, that opposed the 1971 War of Liberation, reports UNB.
They will place their demand during their dialogue with the Commission so that such political parties cannot take part in the country's future elections.
At the meeting, the two left-leaning parties also decided to urge the Commission to take initiatives to separate it from the executive and formulate a policy for neutral appointment of election commissioners.
Talking to reporters, Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon said they would request the EC to formulate a policy for the appointment of its commissioners so that no question could arise about their neutrality.
He, however, said he has no reservation about the incumbent election commissioners and expressed the hope that they would be able to hold a free and fair election.
"We're holding a series of meetings with an objective to take an identical stand in the EC's dialogue on electoral reforms by the like-minded political parties in the AL-led 14-party combine," Menon said.
At the meeting, leaders of both the parties took a unanimous decision that they would take a common stand on the basis of the 31-point electoral reform proposal during their dialogue with the EC.
JSD President Hasanul Huq Inu, who presided over the meeting, said confusion had been created in public mind for various reasons whether the general elections would be held in 2008 as per the EC announced roadmap.
"Controversial remarks by concerned authorities on the issue and lack of coordination among the election commissioners are responsible for this," he said.
Inu said the country would face a constitutional crisis if the EC failed to implement its roadmap. "I think it's possible to hold the general elections before December 2008."
The two leftist leaders also said a greater unity of the democratic and non-communal forces is essential to resist the fundamentalist forces.
The meeting decided that the allies in the 14-party combine would take a common stand in approaching the EC as well as the government to debar the black money holders, loan-defaulters, war criminals and religion-based politics from taking part in elections.
They also called for ensuring economic and administrative freedom of the EC ahead of the general elections.
The meeting also decided to place a demand for fixing the ceiling of poll expenditure at Tk 0.50 million for an individual to discourage the black-money holders from contesting elections.
The JSD and Workers Party leaders expressed their grave concern over the price hike of essential commodities and slump in the economic sector.
Among others, JSD leaders Mainuddin Khan Badal, Syed Jafar Sajjad, Meer Hossain Akhter, Iqbal Hossain Khan, Advocate Habibur Rahman Shawkat and Nazmul Huq Prodhan and Workers Party leaders Bimol Biswas, Fazley Hossain Badsha, Anisur Rahman Mallik and Kamrul Ahasan present at the meeting.
They will place their demand during their dialogue with the Commission so that such political parties cannot take part in the country's future elections.
At the meeting, the two left-leaning parties also decided to urge the Commission to take initiatives to separate it from the executive and formulate a policy for neutral appointment of election commissioners.
Talking to reporters, Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon said they would request the EC to formulate a policy for the appointment of its commissioners so that no question could arise about their neutrality.
He, however, said he has no reservation about the incumbent election commissioners and expressed the hope that they would be able to hold a free and fair election.
"We're holding a series of meetings with an objective to take an identical stand in the EC's dialogue on electoral reforms by the like-minded political parties in the AL-led 14-party combine," Menon said.
At the meeting, leaders of both the parties took a unanimous decision that they would take a common stand on the basis of the 31-point electoral reform proposal during their dialogue with the EC.
JSD President Hasanul Huq Inu, who presided over the meeting, said confusion had been created in public mind for various reasons whether the general elections would be held in 2008 as per the EC announced roadmap.
"Controversial remarks by concerned authorities on the issue and lack of coordination among the election commissioners are responsible for this," he said.
Inu said the country would face a constitutional crisis if the EC failed to implement its roadmap. "I think it's possible to hold the general elections before December 2008."
The two leftist leaders also said a greater unity of the democratic and non-communal forces is essential to resist the fundamentalist forces.
The meeting decided that the allies in the 14-party combine would take a common stand in approaching the EC as well as the government to debar the black money holders, loan-defaulters, war criminals and religion-based politics from taking part in elections.
They also called for ensuring economic and administrative freedom of the EC ahead of the general elections.
The meeting also decided to place a demand for fixing the ceiling of poll expenditure at Tk 0.50 million for an individual to discourage the black-money holders from contesting elections.
The JSD and Workers Party leaders expressed their grave concern over the price hike of essential commodities and slump in the economic sector.
Among others, JSD leaders Mainuddin Khan Badal, Syed Jafar Sajjad, Meer Hossain Akhter, Iqbal Hossain Khan, Advocate Habibur Rahman Shawkat and Nazmul Huq Prodhan and Workers Party leaders Bimol Biswas, Fazley Hossain Badsha, Anisur Rahman Mallik and Kamrul Ahasan present at the meeting.