Experts at a seminar on Saturday called for speeding up reforms of the country’s election process aimed at strengthening the Election Commission (EC) for holding polls in a free and fair manner.
They made the call at the seminar titled ‘What Kind of Election System Reform Do We Want?’ organised by Reporters Forum for Election and Democracy at the CIRDAP Auditorium in the capital.
Brigadier General (Retd) M Sakhawat Hossain, Adviser to the Ministry of Jute and Textiles and Ministry of Shipping, said the EC should have the final say over any decision involving its appointed officials during elections and there should have no government interference in this regard.
Dr. Badiul Alam Majumder, head of the Election System Reform Commission, stressed the need for a fully transparent election process, saying that failure to conduct free and fair polls will undermine the constitution.
He also called for formation of a neutral poll-time interim government, stating that free and fair elections are impossible without cooperation from the government, administration and law enforcement agencies.
Dr. Badiul Alam further emphasized the necessity of reforms within political parties to ensure proper election conduct.
Speaking at the programme, BNP Vice-Chairman Asaduzzaman Ripon said that reforms in the election process are vital to uphold the democratic principle that the people are the owners of the republic.
He also stressed the need for revisions in the legal framework governing the selection of Election Commissioners and expressed support for reruns in constituencies where candidates have won without facing any opposition.
BNP Chairperson’s adviser Advocate Moazzem Hossain Alal suggested that no court should accept writ petitions during elections without consultation with the EC.
Meanwhile, Jamaat-e-Islami Shura member Dr. Shafiqul Islam Masud called for the reintroduction of the caretaker government system and proportionate representation, arguing that previous elections under the caretaker system were more widely accepted.
He also demanded the abolition of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), saying that no civil servant should be allowed to run for office within three years of leaving their post.
Nurul Haque Nur, President of Gono Odhikar Parishad, AB Party Member Secretary Mojibur Rahman Monju, Jatiya Party Presidium Member Shamim Haider Patwary, Ganasamhati Andolon Chief Coordinator Zonayed Saki, CPB General Secretary Ruhin Hossain Prince, among others, spoke at the seminar.