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EC to complete reforms proposal this week

Suggests independent secretariat

Shakhawat Liton
The Election Commission (EC) plans to complete by the end of this week a set of reform proposals including one for an independent EC secretariat to strengthen the commission.
The EC stresses the need for an independent secretariat as it on numerous occasions in the past had faced difficulties in conducting polls freely due to interference from the executive, said sources.
The demand for reforms in the EC has become a much-talked about issue of late as the mainstream opposition parties and civil society are calling for the reforms with greater intensity. Like the EC, centrepiece of the opposition's reform proposals too is an independent secretariat for the commission.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) MA Syed is drawing up a draft of the reform proposals, which will be placed before an EC meeting for discussion in a day or two, said sources.
On completion, the draft will be submitted to government before Syed's term as CEC expires on May 22, added the sources.
The three other election commissioners requested the CEC to prepare the draft when he consulted with them on the reforms. "We too will give our opinions to be included in the draft when we sit to discuss it," an election commissioner said.
Besides the proposal for an independent secretariat, introduction of electronic voting machines, mandatory registration of the political parties with the EC, and new rules for appointing officials to the EC secretariat will feature in the draft, sources said.
"I am in favour of the demand for reforming the Election Commission. Some weaknesses in the present structure of the commission are obvious," the CEC told reporters last week.
The EC is also considering holding dialogue with the political parties to seek their opinions on the reforms.
"If necessary, we will sit with the political parties as a broad political consensus is necessary to strengthen the election commission," Election Commissioner AK Mohammad Ali told The Daily Star.
He said independence for the EC secretariat will be a top priority. " We will do whatever it takes to make the commission stronger."
The EC put the reform issues high on its agenda after Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) polls of May 9 had revealed some fundamental flaws in polls management.
The secretary to the EC secretariat did not attend any of the meetings preparatory to the CCC polls. The EC faced difficulties also in monitoring the polls.
Newspapers many times have reported on conflict between the CEC and SM Zakaria, secretary to the EC. The latter has not attended meetings for about a year.
The CEC had requested the government to withdraw the secretary from the EC secretariat. The government did not respond to the call, instead it granted Zakaria a few months' extension after his tenure ended in last March.