MOHIUDDIN ALAMGIR

If the next general election is not joined by all political parties, it would not be accepted nationally and internationally, a number of former chief election commissioners, election commissioners and election officials said yesterday.

They suggested capacity building for EC officials so that they can perform as returning officers during the national polls due next year.

While attending a dialogue with the EC at its conference room, they also proposed a proportional representation system of election and recommended that the ministries of public administration and home be placed under the authority of the EC ahead of the parliamentary election.

They also opined against army deployment for election duties.

The EC held its sixth round of talks yesterday as part of a series of dialogue with a cross section of people, seeking recommendations on how to hold free and fair elections.

“If all parties don’t participate in this election, it won’t be acceptable. How you will bring them to election depends on the power of persuasion,” former Chief Election Commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda said.

He said they had spent a good amount of time getting all the parties to join the 2008 election. “But from their public speeches, it seems that they [certain political parties] are adamant [about not joining the election] this year.”

In a democratic society having an election system in place, a political party cannot stay out of election for long, according to Shamsul Huda.