Spoke put in advisers' EC recast wheel

bdpublic · Editor Joined: 30 Nov 2006 Posts: 39

Spoke put in advisers' EC recast wheel
Iajuddin now wants Zakaria to stay in EC after finalising package proposal
Shakhawat Liton and Hasan Jahid Tusher

President and Chief Adviser (CA) to the caretaker government Iajuddin Ahmed suddenly appears opposed to the sending of Election Commissioner SM Zakaria on leave as proposed by the advisory council to reconstitute the Election Commission (EC).

"Let him [Zakaria] be there. One man can do nothing to the election process," an adviser last night quoted the president as saying at the advisers' meeting on Wednesday night.

The adviser was talking to The Daily Star in return for anonymity.

The president's stance has irked Awami League (AL) and its allies who had earlier decided to move towards the polls on the advisers' assurance that the commission would soon be reconstituted.

The AL-led 14-party combine yesterday renewed its call for the interim government to keep Zakaria inactive till the election is over while the BNP-led four-party alliance stood firm in favour of the controversial election commissioner.

A delegation of the four-party alliance yesterday met a four-member panel of advisers at the state guesthouse Padma and said they will not accept any move to send Zakaria on leave, meeting sources said.

"We will have no objection if the president appoints a new election commissioner and make him the acting chief election commissioner (CEC). But we won't accept any measures aiming at the three old election commissioners," Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid told The Daily Star last night. He was among the immediate past ruling alliance leaders who met the advisers at Padma earlier in the day.

Representatives of the 14-party alliance also met the four advisers at the state guesthouse and enquired about the progress in implementation of the package proposals.

According to the proposals, the caretaker government is supposed to send two controversial election commissioners on leave, transfer some secretaries, and have the polls rescheduled and voter roll corrected.

The advisers' panel comprising Dr Akbar Ali Khan, CM Shafi Sami, Mahbubul Alam and Sultana Kamal rushed to the Bangabhaban and apprised the president of the developments in the talks with the two major political alliances.

On knowing that Zakaria might not be sent on leave, the 14-party leaders said they had trusted in the advisers' move, but their efforts in the last couple of days have not lived up to the expectations.

"The advisory council has yet to recast the Election Commission in line with its proposals. The president has made things more complex now," AL President Sheikh Hasina said last night, urging the party leaders and workers to get ready for a sit-in around the Bangabhaban.

Meanwhile, the advisers who had drawn up the package of proposals through hectic negotiations with the rival political camps were surprised to come up against the president's opposition to the proposal for recasting the EC, sources said.

"It has in fact taken us by surprise. The president himself had chaired the meeting that finalised the package of proposals. He did not oppose any of the proposals then," another adviser seeking anonymity told The Daily Star.

Iajuddin had also consented to initiate steps to send the two controversial election commissioners on leave.

Election Commissioner Modabbir Hossain Chowdhury who was appointed on November 27 has already agreed to take a leave of absence, said sources within the EC.

In public, the advisers, however, are expressing optimism about an amicable resolution of the current political stalemate. After the meeting with the political parties, Adviser Sultana Kamal told reporters that things are going in the right direction and it is still possible to hold a credible national election within the 90-day timeframe.

"The ray of light that was seen at the end of the tunnel will shine soon," she quipped.

Meanwhile, acting CEC Justice Mahfuzur Rahman yesterday said he does not know whether or not any election commissioner is going on leave.

"I don't know if any of them is going on leave or not," he told reporters in the evening after a meeting with the commissioners including Zakaria and Modabbir.

Secretary to the EC Secretariat Abdur Rashid Sarkar who earlier claimed that CEC MA Aziz had informed him before going on leave, yesterday said he is not aware of if any of the election commissioners is going to take time off their work.

The 14-party leaders meeting the advisers at Padma yesterday welcomed them for their initiative to create a level playing field before the election.

"The package of proposals set forth by the caretaker government will have to be implemented in its entirety," AL Presidium Member Tofail Ahmed who attended the parley with the advisers told The Daily Star last night.

They must make SM Zakaria go on leave to create an atmosphere congenial to holding of a free and fair election, he noted.

Coming out of the meeting, 14-party Coordinator Abdul Jalil told reporters that it is not possible to say anything until the talks are over. "There is a need for more discussions," added Jalil, also AL general secretary.

The advisers have yet to give the 14 party alliance any feedback on the day's negotiations.

"Actually, there's nothing new that we can inform them of as both the sides stick to their stances," an adviser told The Daily Star last night.

Apprised of the latest situation regarding the talks, President/CA Iajuddin Ahmed has asked the four advisers to continue with their efforts.

He, however, did not convene any meeting of the advisory council.

Talking to The Daily Star, a number of advisers last night said they hoped the president would call a meeting. They said they might sit today to discuss the overall situation and then meet the two alliances again.

In this situation, appointment of a new election commissioner might be delayed for some more time, sources said.

FOURTEEN-PARTY AND ALLIES MEET
At an emergency meeting late at night, the 14-party, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Zaker Party discussed the developments following rescheduling of the polls.

Presided over by AL Presidium Member Tofail Ahmed, it observed that the CA has been trying to foil the election through creating obstacles to implementation of the package proposals.

The parties at the meeting also decided that they will wage an even tougher movement against the CA and participate in the polls jointly.

"We have discussed the overall situation. We will make our stance public at a press conference at Hotel Purbani tomorrow (today)," Jalil told the press. He said they have had talks with Jatiya Party (Ershad) as well.

"If the proposals are not carried out fully, it won't be possible for us to take part in the next election," Pankaj Bhattacharya told The Daily Star after the meeting held at Abdul Jalil's Gulshan residence.

Source: The Daily Star
http://thedailystar.net/2006/12/08/d6120801011.htm

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