President holds talks with KSJL, LDP

Krishak Sramik Janata League president Kader Siddique on Wednesday opposed the current Parliament passing any bill for the creation of independent Election Commission.
Kader Siddique, who discussed the issue of reconstituting the EC with president Abdul Hamid, later told reporters that he made it clear at the talks that as the current Parliament, with 153 unelected MPs, does not represent the people, it cannot pass any bill stipulating reconstitution of the Election Commission. 
Kader led a 12-member delegation of his party at the talks with the president at Bangabhaban.

President Abdul Hamid poses for a photograph with a delegation of Krishak Shramik Janata League at Bangabhaban in the capital on Wednesday during talks on election commission formation. — New Age photo

The KSJL delegation included Nasrin Kader Siddique, Habibur Rahman Talukder, Iqbal Siddique, Shafiqul Islam, M A Rashid, Md Abdul Halim Sarker Lal, Hasmat Ali, Habibun Nabi Sohel, Rifatul Islam Dip, Farid Ahmed and Monwara Begum. 
The president expressed the hope that it would be possible through talks to form a neutral and strong Election Commission, says a Bangabhaban press release.
Earlier in the day the president discussed the issue with a 12-member delegation of Liberal Democratic Party led by its president Oli Ahmed. 
According to a Bangabhaban press release, the president told the LDP delegation that the ongoing talks with political parties would help reconstitute an acceptable EC.
Leaving Bangabhaban, Oli told waiting reporters that his party presented to the president a 17-point proposal for the creation of an independent and acceptable Election Commission. 
He said that his party demanded a new law for the appointment of the chief election commissioner and the election commissioners on the basis of consensus among the political parties.
Oli said that his party also recommended formation of a five-member search committee led by a former Chief Justice having no political affiliation and held no office of profit after retirement.
He said that LDP also demanded deployment of defence forces with policing powers forces during elections. 
On Sunday the president held his EC reconstitution talks with BNP kicking off the discussions with political parties on the issue. 
The tenure of incumbent CEC Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad expires in February.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net