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AL wants all key JS bodies in first session

Step aimed at making parliament effective

Shakhawat Liton
Awami League (AL), the ruling party, plans to complete formation of all important parliamentary bodies in the inaugural session of new parliament to ensure the executive's accountability to the legislature, right from the beginning.
On instructions from Prime Minister and Leader of the House Sheikh Hasina, VicePrincipal Abdus Shahid, who has been picked to be chief whip, is already working to that end, said sources in AL.
Talking to The Daily Star via phone on Saturday night, Shahid said he is trying his best to have the parliamentary standing committees formed in the first session.
It will be a major step forward in efforts to make parliament effective if the committees can be activated without wasting time.
Like the new council of ministers, young lawmakers with a clean image are likely to be given the chair of the most of the 50 parliamentary committees, added the sources.
The eighth parliament took around a year and
half to form the committees and the seventh took around two years. In the fifth parliament, the committee system was rendered mostly ineffective by the then ministersatthe helm ofthe bodies.
The ruling party policymakers are also considering providing sufficient logistic support to the offices of parliamentary committee chiefs.
A proposal to give them a state minister's status is under consideration. In addition, they might be allowed to carry Jatiya Sangsad's flag on their cars.
Besides, AL has plans to offer chairmanship of some committees to the opposition BNP lawmakers to break with the winner-take-all tradition.
Parliamentary affairs experts said the role of parliamentary committees determines how democratically and effectively a parliament functions. So, they observed, there is no alternative to strengthening the committee system.
The majority party also wants computer and internet facilities in parliament lobby so the lawmakers can educate themselves about proceedings of parliaments abroad.
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It plans an office at upazila level for each MP and an annual block allocation for development work in his constituency. This would help keep the lawmakers from interfering in the affairs of upazila parishads.
AL President Sheikh Hasina has already asked her party's senior lawmakers to arrange an orientation programme for the freshers. As many as 126 elected on AL ticket in December 29 parliamentary election are firsttime lawmakers.
The Institute of Parliamentary Studies may also organise orientation sessions for the new lawmakers, said sources in the parliament secretariat. DEPUTYSPEAKER'S POST In its electoral manifesto, AL said it would offer the deputy speaker'sposttotheopposition.
But implementation of that pledge has become uncertain as the BNP lawmakers-elect did not take oath in time.
According to the constitution, they would have to wait until the new speaker takes office.
"They should have taken oath in time. Their failure to do so has in fact nega ted their prospect of having the deputy speaker's post,” Abdus Shahid said.
Election of speaker and deputy speaker is held simultaneously as soon as the new parliament convenes. "As the BNP lawmakers-elect did not take oath early enough, I wonder how they would pick their nomi -nee for deputy speaker,” said Shahid.
"The question arises whether it's possible to postpone the election of deputy speaker," he added.