Dhaka: National Consensus Commission Vice-Chairman Professor Ali Riaz announced today that a consensus has been achieved regarding the procedure for appointing the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and other Election Commissioners (ECs) during the commission's dialogue with political parties.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, a revised proposal has been presented by amending Article 118(1) of the current Constitution. This announcement was made during a briefing after the conclusion of the 18th day's dialogue at the Foreign Service Academy. The revised proposal outlines that a fully constituted Election Commission will consist of the CEC and a legally determined number of ECs.
Professor Riaz elaborated that a five-member selection committee, led by the Speaker, will initiate the appointment process for the CEC and other ECs for a five-year term, commencing 90 days prior to the current commission's tenure ending. The process will adhere to legal procedures, including inviting 'expressions of interest' and gathering relevant information from potential candidates, as well as independently sourcing suitable individuals.
The selection committee, as explained by the Commission Vice-Chairman, will also include the Deputy Speaker from the opposition, the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, and a Justice of the Appellate Division appointed by the Chief Justice. This committee will transparently evaluate the r©sum©s of shortlisted candidates and, through consensus, recommend one individual as Chief Election Commissioner and one for each of the other commissioner roles to the President.
Upon recommendation, the President will appoint them for a five-year term starting from the date they take office. The National Parliament Secretariat, under the Speaker's supervision, will provide administrative support to the selection committee.
Professor Riaz further stated that in case of a vacancy due to the end of term or any other reason, the newly appointed commissioners will take over responsibilities the next day. Additionally, a new law and code of conduct will be established by Parliament to ensure the Election Commission's accountability. However, sub-articles 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 of the existing Article will remain unchanged.
The meeting was attended by Commission members Justice Md. Emdadul Haque, Dr. Iftekharuzzaman, Dr. Badiul Alam Majumdar, Safar Raj Hossain, Dr. Md. Aiyub Miah, and Chief Adviser's Special Assistant Monir Haidar. Representatives from 30 political parties, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, National Citizen Party (NCP), Gono Odhikar Parishad, Gonosanghoti Andolon, Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), Biplobi Workers' Party, and Amar Bangladesh (AB) Party, were also present.