Speakers at a seminar on Saturday underscored the need for a free, fair and credible election with the participation of all political parties in order to strengthen democracy in the country. Addressing a seminar organised to mark the launching of ‘The Dhaka Forum’, a civil society organization, speakers urged the country’s two major political parties-Awami League and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) to hold a meaningful dialogue in order to unlock the current political deadlock.
Among others, former caretaker government adviser Dr Akbar Ali Khan, noted jurist Dr Shahdin Malik, former Election Commissioner Brig (Rtd) M Sakhawat Hossain addressed the seminar and former caretaker government adviser and Editor of The Independent Mahbubul Alam, chaired by the Dhaka Forum president and former governor of the Bangladesh Bank Dr Salehuddin Ahmed.
Expressing his frustration over the ongoing stalemate, Dr Akbar Ali Khan said, he cannot see any possibility of a free, fair and credible election. “We have to keep in mind that the constitution is for the people and the people are not for the constitution. So, we all will have to find a solution to meet peoples’ expectations,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dr Shahdin Malik apprehended that the next general elections may not be acceptable if the main opposition parties do not participate.
“If any election is held in the country under the supervision of the incumbent government without the participation of the main opposition parties, it might be one of the worst elections in the country,” he said.
Shakhwat Hossain stressed the need for strengthening the democratic institutions saying that independent EC and independent judiciary were crucial for holding a free and fair election.
Addressing the seminar Mahbubul Alam said that dialogue among the major political parties was a must to end the current political impasse. He also felt that democracy in the country would not be institutionalised without holding a participatory and credible election.
The Forum member and former ambassador Masood Aziz presented a keynote paper titled ‘Strengthening democracy through peaceful and credible election’ at the seminar.
The keynote paper recommended a formula of poll-time government under which the parties which have representations in the current parliament will elect a Chief adviser for the poll-time government which may be named a Transitional Government (TG) or Interim Government (IG). He will select 10 advisers for running the TG or IG.
According to this formula president or anyone from judiciary cannot be the chief adviser. He said a person thus elected by the parliament can not be treated as unelected as the President and the lawmakers in the reserved seats for women are elected in the same manner.
-With The Independent input
