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SQ Chy's MP Status Scrapping

Ball back to EC

Speaker's letter says it's none of JS business

Shakhawat Liton
Speaker Abdul Hamid has finally placed the onus back on the Election Commission to strip BNP lawmaker Salauddin Quader Chowdhury of his parliament membership for violating electorallaws.
In a letter dated July 16, the Parliament Secretariat told the EC that scrapping Salauddin's parliament membership on grounds of being disqualified for continuing as an MP does not fall under the jurisdiction of the speaker, officials concerned said.
Salauddin concealed educational information in the affidavit he had submitted to the EC at the time of seeking candidacy in the December 29 parliamentary polls, which should disqualify him as a lawmaker.Chief Election Commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda yesterday said it would take a month to initiate the next steps regarding the issue and the EC would consult with legal experts.
"At present we are busy with drafting proposals for changes in the Representation of the People Order. The issue of Salauddin Quader's parliament membership is not important to us at this moment," Huda told reporters on the EC Secretariat premises.
Parliament Secretariat officials said the speaker's opinion on the issue was formulated in the light of article 66 of the constitution, section 178 of the Rules of Procedure of Jatiya Sangsad, and section 3 of the Members of Parliament (Determination of Dispute) Act 1980.
They said the EC itself is empowered to determine whether an MP is qualified for continuing as a lawmaker or not.
Now the commission will have to take the next sfep--issuing an official gazette vacating Salauddin's membership.
Convinced of its own probe findings, the EC decided that Salauddin is no more qualified for continuing as an MP. However, it refrained from cancelling his parliament membership and its secretariat sent a letter to the Parliament Secretariat on June 17, asking it to take necessary steps to cancel Salauddin’s membership in consultation with the speaker.
"Salauddin Quader Chowdhury violated article 12 (3b) of the Representation of the People Order 1972. Besides, he violated his pledge to the commission by not submitting a copy of his edu-cational qualification. Therefore, the commission thinks a person who gave false information is not qualified for continuing as a member of parliament," the EC letter said.
Interestingly, EC officials yesterday remained tight-
lipped about the Parliament Secretariat's letter and did not discuss the issue at its meeting in the morning.
Election commissioners Muhammed Sohul Hussain and Brig Gen (retd) Sakhawat Hossain expressed their ignorance about the letter.
When journalists got hold of the CEC, he admitted receiving the letter. Asked about the commission's next course of action on scrapping Salauddin's parliament membership, CEC Huda reacted sharply: "It is not any issue now. You are making an issue of the matter!"
When his attention was drawn to the BNP leader's offensive remarks about the commission, the CEC declined to make any comment.
In the affidavit for seeking candidacy in the ninth parliamentary election, Salauddin Quader Chowdhury mentioned that he has no educational qualification. When challenged, the BNP leader admitted haying educational degrees and promised to submit a copy of the certificate of his highest educational qualification.
Upon his pledge the EC let him contest the polls on the excuse of "doctrine of political necessity" as it believed that cancelling Salauddin's candidacy might jeopardise the electoral process, said EC Secretariat officials.
However, Salauddin did not submit the copy of his educational certificate.
In April, the EC asked him to submit the document within two months, but he did not respond.
Later, the EC collected his particulars preserved at the Parliament Secretariat when he was an MP during previous parliaments and found many inconsistencies in the information. It then decided that he is not qualified for continuing as a lawmaker.
But the EC did not dare to cancel Salauddin's parliament membership fearing political consequences, said officials at the EC Secretariat.