Delwar questions AL council move
July 11, 2009
BNP secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain has questioned Awami League’s latest announcement that it would hold its national council by the July 25 deadline set by the Election Commission, in apparent concern for what the ruling party’s move might mean for the main opposition BNP’s council plans.
“Awami League earlier decided to appeal to the Election Commission to postpone the deadline,” Delwar told the BBC in a programme aired Saturday, following the ruling party’s announcement the previous day.
“Why did they take a different decision all of a sudden?” Delwar asked.
Ruling party Awami League last week had said it would ask the EC for six more months as it was unready for holding the council to approve its final party constitution by July 25.
AL office secretary Abdul Mannan Khan told reporters on Friday, however, they were ready after all and were taking preparations to hold the council within the EC’s scheduled time.
Delwar told the BBC, “The passage of a party’s constitution by council needs time. The sudden change in decision by AL has raised questions.”
“We will discuss the issue with the commission,” he said.
The AL’s Mannan Khan has also said that his party would talk over the issue with the Election Commission, on July 16.
Asked about AL’s earlier request for a time extension, Mannan said, “The council will now be held earlier than planned.”
He also said the AL would ask what the commission’s position was regarding other political parties’ councils for approving their constitutions.
The incumbent Election Commission moved to get all political parties fully registered ahead of elections, for the first time in Bangladesh’s history, during the past caretaker government’s two year regime.
The parties, however, said they needed time to fulfil all the conditions of registration, including finalising their constitutions.
They registered with the EC, ahead of the December 2008 general elections, by submitting draft constitutions but pledged to fully amend their constitutions by holding councils later.
The Representation of the People Order, amended before the election, accordingly gave all political parties six months from the new parliament’s starting date.
The ninth parliament convened on Jan 25. But since then, the Election Commission has said it was open to allowing more time if parties requested.
Election commissioner M Sakhawat Hussain told the BBC on Friday: “If the parties seek more time, we will consider the matter.
“But we have to recommend amendment (to the RPO) to the law ministry as it stipulates that party constitutions should be submitted by July 25.
“If the major parties approach us, we can do that,” Sakhawat said.
Source: bdnews24.com
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