& 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

AL sticks to associates, ignores RPO changes

Finalises proposals to amend party constitution for EC registration

Hasan JahidTusher
The Awami League (AL) has finalised draft proposals for amending the party constitution to get regis-tered with the Election Commission (EC) but kept the provisions for associate organisa-
tions and foreign chapters.
The provisions of keeping these bodies contradict the registration laws laid down in the revised Representation of the People Order (RPO).
According to the RPO. political parties willing to get registered
shall have specific provisions in their constitutions prohibiting formation of any associated or affiliated bodies consisting of teachers and students, employees and labourers of financial institutions and other professionals. It FROM PAGE 1
says the same on having a party's foreign chapters.
The AL's associate bodies consist of students, labourers and professionals.
The AL will again formally request the EC to further ease the registration rules so that keening the names in its constitution does not become an obstacle to getting registered, said members of a committee formed to prepare the draft of the amendment proposals.
They said they only kept the names of the associate organisations in the party constitution and suggested scrapping most of the sub-sections in relevant clauses so that from now these bodies can be regulated by their own charters independently.
Tne AL central decides the policies for its associate organisations and has enormous influence on them. But if the proposals get approval at a meeting of the AL Central Working Committee today, it will have no more authority to interfere with their activities. the committee members said.
"We are always ready to get registered. We will ask the Election Commission to be more flexible on these issues in the interest of holding a free and fair election." said Tofail Ahmed, head of the commit-
tee.
'We sat today to discuss Saturday's adjourned working committee meeting's decisions on the proposed amendments to the party constitution,” Tofail told reporters at AL President Sheikh Hasina's political office in Dhanmondi.
He said they prepared the drafts in line with the working committee meeting's decisions including to pick parliamentary candidates from panels elected by grassroots level committees through secret ballots.
The working committee meeting also decided that the associate organisations and foreign chapters must stay with the main party.
"We will submit the proposals and the working committee will take the final step for getting regis-tered with the Election Commission, ’ Tofail said.
Committee member and party Organising Secretary Abdul Mannan told The Daily Star that with the approval of the proposals, associatea organisations would work independently with their own constitutions.
"We hope the revised draft proposals will be approved by the working committee tomorrow [today]." hesaid.
Meeting sources said the draft committee suggested scrapping three of the four sub-sections of each clause regarding associate and "immigrant" organisations.
According to the AL constitution, Bangladesh Mahila Awami League, Bangladesh Krishak League. Jatiya Sramik League, Bangladesh Awami Jubo League, Awami Swechchhasnebak League, Bangladesh Chhatra League, Awami Ainjibee Parishad, Bangladesh Tanti League and Swadhinata Chikitshak Parishad are regarded as the party's associate organisations.
The AL Executive Committee decides the policies of these bodies and the departmental secretary concerned supervises and coordinates their activities. These organisations are liable to the AL for its activities through the secretary. The draft committee suggested scrapping this sub-section.
Regarding "immigrant" bodies, the committee kept the sub-section that says Bangladeshi citizens living in different countries shall have the
right to form party branches but it did not suggest anything on the process of forming and running the party foreign units.
When asked, Tofail said they discussed how foreign chapters could be kept functional.
NOMINATION PROCESS
The draft committee meeting sought elaborate explanation from the working committee for electing or selecting the five-member panel at grassroots level at each constituency and what would be the role of district, upazila. thana or union committees.
Talking to The Daily Star, committee member and AL Organising Secretary Mahmudur Rahman Manna said there could be problems in finalising the panel for parliamentary contenders.
Tofail said one candidate would be chosen from the panel for the December 18 polls.
Tire committee also suggested scrapping one ot the sub-sections regarding formulating a three-year budget and preparing accounts of all income and expenditure.
It endorsed that the party will have 33 percent positions reserved for women in committees at all levels by 2020 gradually.
The other members of the draft committee were all AL Presidium members available--HT Imam, AMA Muhith, Nuh-ul-Alam Lenin, Latif Siddiqui. Prof Abu Sayeed and AKM Jahangir I lossain.