Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda yesterday said past practices of "picking people from the streets" to make election commissioners have to stop if we have to have an independent and efficient Election Commission (EC).
Huda said although it is difficult to prepare the voter list with photographs and national ID cards within the "tight" schedule of 18 months, it is necessary as the previous database and voter lists have lost all
credibility because of politicisation.
The CEC was speaking at a roundtable discussion titled "Immediate Action Plan for Election Commission" organised by Bangla daily Prothom Alo at Hotel Sheraton. The two election commissioners, former advisers to the caretaker government, legal experts and civil society representatives attended the discussion.
Former CEC Abu Hena spoke at length regarding the EC's independence, saying it is a matter of percep-
tion and it is the election commissioners who have to use their professionalism to ensure the commission's ability to draw up its own organogram and budget.
Huda concurred, saying it is the appointment of the election commissioners, which requires the closest scrutiny. "You cannot pick people from the streets to make them election commissioners as was done before," he said.
The EC is trying to accelerate its
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three main aims--legal reforms, preparing a credible and proper voter list, and creating an environment conducive to elections, he added.
Huda said a draft prepared by the EC for electoral reform has already been proposed but the EC cannot finalise the draft without discussing the matter with the political parties.
Former caretaker government adviser Manzur Elahi said while it is good to hold dialogues with the civil society and the press, the major challenge ahead for the EC is to convince the political parties about the effectiveness of the EC reforms.
Both Elahi and legal expert Asif Nazrul said a ban on indoor politics does not preclude the EC from having a dialogue with the political parties as it will be a "constructive discussion" on reforms rather than a "political activity". They stressed the need for accelerating these decisions to quicken steps towards elections.
The CEC stated that the second goal of the EC is to create a fair and proper voters registration system that will leave behind a "widely criticised" voter list.
He referred to several studies suggesting that 18.3 percent voters on the previous voter list are fake. Creating a new database would be less time-consuming than correcting the old one, he said.
A few speakers at the discussion, however, differed in this regard and came down hard on Huda for the EC decision to prepare photo ID and ask people to come to registration camps rather than EC officials visiting door-to-door.
Former attorney general Hasan Arif said the EC will not only have to go to the Supreme Court (SC) for a reference but also pass amendments to avoid door-to-door visit.
He was referring to an SC decision last year which said election officials will have to go door-to-door to prepare a voter list.
Former adviser Maj Gen (retd) Mainul Hossain Chowdhury asked the CEC not to conflate voter list and voter ID cards as they will have to face legal tangles in future.
Election Commissioner Sakhawat Hossain said if they were to go door-to-door to prepare the voter list with photographs, they will need 36 months instead of 18 to complete the task.
Another Election Commissioner Sahul Hossain said the EC is not bound by the SC decision for door-to-door visits due to the unusual political context and the different mode of making the electoral register.
Asif Nazrul said a presidential ordinance will be sufficient in this regard.
The CEC also emphasised the EC's aim to create an environment conducive to elections whereby the opportunities for exuberant spending on elections and the use of muscle in elections would be eliminated or reduced for a fairer political platform for candidates.
Hasan Arif also endorsed the view that instead of limiting expenditure, the EC should be looking to restrict the opportunities given to candidates to splash money for their advantage.
Former adviser Mainul asked the EC if it wants to hold elections under the state of emergency. "Withdraw the emergency and then you can see who still participate in the election and who boycott it," he said.
Transparency International, Bangladesh (TIB) trustee board Chairman Prof Muzaffer Ahmed said the people are as important as politicians in the election process. He called for a total ban on candidates who have been tainted as corrupt and rallies and processions for election campaigning.
Former adviser Rokia Afzal Rahman said the electoral reform should have greater attention from the authorities to ensure greater representation of women in the elections.
Others present at the discussion were Badiul Alam Mazumdar of Citizens for Good Governance, Nagarik Committee member M Syeduzzaman and Prothom Alo Joint Editor Abdul Quaiyum.
Prothom Alo Editor Matiur Rahman moderated the session.