& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Caretaker System

Govt rejects reforms demand

Staff Correspondent
Thegovcrnmentyesterdaysniffcdat the opposition's demand for reform of the caretaker government system, asking it to table its suggestions for ensuring free and fair elections in parliament rather than at roundtables.
"The demand is irrational," Prime Minister Khaleda Zia told the house while speaking on a thanksgiving motion on president's speech to parliament.
"Nothing worthwhile will come of roundtables or street agitation on the issue." she said, 'The caretaker government system exists and will be the same in the constitution. And the next parliamentary elections will be held under the caretaker government."
Opposition parties led by Awami League (AL) at a roundtable in the city Monday demanded that the chief of caretaker government should be appointed by a consensus of all. The opposition leaders there put forward a number of proposals to ensure credible elections and strengthen the election commission (EC).
The leader of the house said, "The main opposition is raising the demand, as it has no valid issues al hand and knows for sure that it won't be able to win out the four-party alliance in the nex.t general election."
Regretting dial they (AL) are now opposing the same caretaker system they once called the 'world's best', Khaleda said her government is party' and came down on it heavily for what he said was using the media to destroy the country's image.
Newspapers are a major player in a democracy, he noted, adding, "Awami League leaders are now using the negative headlines of the newspapers as a weapon to destroy the country's image."
Saifur urged newspapers to make constructive criticism of the government and to avoid anything that might harm the greater interest of the nation, saying, "It'll be of no benefit to destroy the image of the country, rather will mean loss for us all."
BNP Secretary General and LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan said AL has to come to parliament to bring changes in the existing provisions of the non-party caretaker government.
"Holding roundtables outside parliament on the issue will not bring any positive result to this end, as parliament is the right place to bring any amendments to the existing caretaker government system," Bhuiyan told the Jatiya Sangsad
The law minister's criticism of the opposition demand was more pointed. Barrister Moudud Ahmed said, "Caretaker government is a settled issue and one of the basics of the constitution," and blamed the opposition for trying to unsettle the case and creating unrest in the
society.
Moudud said if the opposition has any practical suggestions within the framework of the constitution to make elections free and fair and clean and protect it from the influence of black money, it can present them in parliament.
During the discussion yesterday, Communications Minister Nazmul Huda presented a new formula for making elections fair, and free of influence of black money.
He proposed to introduce a four-page passport come citizenship certificate for every one aged 18 and above and to confine election campaign to seven days, which he said "will reduce expenditure and influence of black money."
Huda described two pages of the passport to bear the person's curriculum vitae. Of the rest two pages, one will carry information relating to the person's travels abroad and the last about his voting activities.
The minister, also a barrister, said the presiding officers of the elections the persons will have participated in will sign on the page on voting. "It'll prove if the person has voted or not; consequently, it'll reduce the tendency of ballotrigging and fake vote-casting," he maintained.