TIB offers polls-time government formula

DHAKA DESK: Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) on Friday put forward a formula of an ’11-member polls-time government’ to conduct the next general election in a free, fair and neutral manner to avert the ongoing political crisis, reports UNB.
TIB executive director Dr Iftekharuzzaman came up with the proposal at a press conference at Brac Centre Inn in the city. The anti-graft body proposed formation of a ‘parliamentary consensus committee’ involving parliament members from both alliances (Awami League-led grand alliance and BNP-led 18-party alliance) to select the members of the ‘polls-time government’.
The Speaker of parliament will call upon the political parties to submit the names of their nominees for parliamentary consensus committee and the political parties will submit the names of their members to the Speaker. The committee may be formed taking equal members from the both alliances. According to the TIB proposal, the parliamentary consensus committee will select the chief of the government with consultations with the ruling and opposition alliances. The committee will also select the names of a 10-member cabinet of the proposed government.
The government members will be selected before 30 days of the expiry of the present government’s tenure so that President can hand over power to the government dissolving the parliament. About the process of appointment of the members of government, the TIB proposal said the consensus committee will select its chief through consultation and will prepare the list of the other members of the government through consultation with the chief of the government or the committee will select the 10 members and then will select the chief of the polls time government with consultation with the 10 members. The chief of the government may be an elected or non-elected person. If the consensus committee could not reach a consensus in selecting the chief of polls-time government, it will prepare a list of three names and put forward to the President through the Speaker and the President will appoint one out of the three as the chief of the government to oversee the election. The 10-member cabinet could be selected from the two alliances on equal basis or the basis of ratio of votes in the last three parliamentary polls. Besides, the cabinet member may also be non-elected persons.
About the function of the government, the TIB proposal said the government will hold an election within 90 days from assuming power. If any disaster affects the nation, the tenure can be extended for another 90 days to hold the polls. The members of the government can neither take part in the 10th parliamentary elections nor can hold any post of the next government. The President will call upon the chief justice to administer oath to the members of polls-time government. If necessary, the President will advise the government during the election.
Speaking at the press conference, TIB chairman Sultana Kamal said if the two major political parties could not reach a consensus to hold the next polls in a neutral manner, they will not survive in the politics.

Category: English News