President Abdul Hamid is going to hold dialogues with different political parties from December 20 on the formation of a new Election Commission, said officials at the Bangabhaban on Tuesday.
The officials said that Jatiya Party, the main opposition in the National Parliament, will be the first to sit with the President for the dialogue.
Jatiya Party Secretary General Mujibul Haque Chunnu said they were informed that the President will hold talks with the party on Monday. “We, however, have not received any formal invitation yet.”
Meanwhile, Joynal Abedin, Press Secretary to the President, said that an announcement on the matter will be made in due course.
With the absence of a law to appoint election commissioners, the president had constituted the commission through a search committee after talks with the political parties several times in the past.
It should be mentioned that the tenure of the current Election Commission would be ended in next February. The constitution mentions the enactment of laws to form commissions. However, this law has not been passed in the country.
In this circumstance, in the last two terms, President Abdul Hamid formed a search committee after discussion with the political parties. After the committee compiled a list of potential candidates, the president appointed the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and other Commissioners.
This time representatives of various organisations and civil society were demanding the formation of an Election Commission by law in accordance with the constitution.