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INVITATION TOK TALKS

EC to go ahead with HC decision as BNP unification move fails

Staff Correspondent
The Election Commission's (EC) move to have a united BNP in the electoral reforms talks appears to have failed with both the factions vying again for EC's invitation.
Following the developments, the EC has opted to wait for a copy of the High Court's decision on the BNP issue to decide whether it should sit with any one faction or wrap up the dialogue.
"Reconciliation between the BNP groups seems to be a distant possibility,” Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda, who met the rival camps twice in the last five days, told reporters yesterday.
Asked what would be their next course of action, he said, "We are waiting for a copy of the High Court's verdict. We will take a decision after going through it.”
He said the EC would soon get a copy of the HC verdict.
The polls chief was speaking to the media after meeting a 12-member delegation of Saifur-led BNP that has again demanded that the commission send an invitation to Major (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed for electoral talks.
In an unprecedented move, the EC on last Thursday asked the feuding factions to be reconciled within the next three days to participate in the dialogue together. The deadline ended on Sunday with no prospect for reconciliation in sight.
Coming out of the meeting with the EC at around 4:00pm, the delegation claimed they have submitted a letter signed by 54 former BNP lawmakers calling for the EC not to be 'confused' by Sunday's letter from some standing committee members. '
They however did not disclose the names of the signatories to their letter, and instead asked the journalists to attend the news briefing at Hafiz's residence for details.
Five out of eight BNP standing committee members, who are neither in jail nor expelled, in their letter asked the EC to invite Khandaker Delwar Hossain to the electoral reform talks as, they said, he is the legitimate representative of the mainstream BNP.
BNP chairperson's adviser Mofazzal Karim, who led the delegation yesterday, told reporters that the former lawmakers in their letter endorsed Hafiz as the BNP secretary general and asked the EC to invite him for the dialogue.
"They [former lawmakers) felt aggrieved at some standing committee members' letter to the Election Commission. They told the commission that it must invite Hafiz if it is to hold discussions with BNE” observed Mofazzal.
The office of the CEC however declined to receive the letter since the part containing the signatures of 54 ex-BNP lawmakers was missing, said sources in the EC. Late in the afternoon, Hafiz in a brief news conference spoke about initiative to unite the party and their readiness to sit with the EC. But he did not take any question on their delegation meeting the EC.
Earlier on November 5 last year, the EC sent an invitation to Major (retd) Hafiz, secretary general of pro-reform Saifur faction, evoking a bitter response from those loyal to Khaleda Zia, the now detained former prime minister.
Before that, the factions had been competing fiercely to win invitation to join the electoral reforms dialogue as representative of the mainstream BNP.
Responding to a writ petition filed by the detained BNP chairperson challenging the EC's invitation to Hafiz, the High Court on November 18 ordered a stay on operation of the invite.
The following day the EC cancelled its talks with the BNP slated for November 22. Announcing the decision, the CEC said they would wait until the issue was disposed of at the court.
Then on April 10, the High Court dismissed the writ and observed it has no jurisdiction to decide on the matter.
HAFIZ BRIEFING
Urging the pro-Khaleda faction to settle the differencesat the negotiating table, Hafiz said they want to go to the dialogue unitedly.
"We are waiting for the Election Commission's invitation," he continued.
"We want Khandaker Delwar's group with us in the electoral reforms talks, but we have not yet got any positive response from them."