The New Nation - Internet Edition

Rafiqul Islam Azad

The Election Commission is planning to hold talks with prominent political leaders of smaller parties, who have been left out of the two previous dialogues on electoral reforms, according to informed sources.

A number of political parties were not invited to the dialogues, as they could not fulfil the criterion set by the Election Commission (EC) to take part in the dialogues that began on September 12 last year.

According to the EC criterion the political parties, which had bagged at least one Parliamentary seat in any Parliament after the independence or those have party offices in at least half of the districts and upazilas.

However, the EC did not allow those political parties for the dialogue, who have no activities and election symbol even though having Parliamentary seats.

The EC would hold talks with prominent leaders of those parties on political reforms. A formal decision in this regard, will be taken within a couple of days, sources said.

Important among those political parties, who had direct or indirect representation in any Parliament after the independence, included-Gano Forum, Progressive Democratic Party (PDP), Kallyan Party, Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP), two groups of Islami Oikya Jote, Muslim League, Jatiya Ganotantrik Party (Jagpa) and National Awami Party-NAP (Bhashani).

Political parties having former MPs like Gano Forum, PDP and Kallyan Party are considered to have indirect representation in the previous Parliaments, as some of their leaders are former MPs, though not won the polls under the banner of parties they belong at present.

When contacted Election Commissioner Brig Gen (Retd) Muhammad Sakhawat Hussain told The New Nation that the door of Commission is open for those who are interested to talk on electoral reforms.

We can hold talks with some prominent political leaders who are involved with politics for long time, he said adding there is problem to hold talks over the issue.

Regarding dialogue with the BNP, the Election Commissioner hoped that the matter would be resolved soon after the decision of higher court.

A total of 15 political parties, including the Awami League (AL), Jamaat-e-Islami, Jatiya Party and Islami Oikya Jote (IOJ) took part in the two-round of dialogues with the EC that ended on February 29.

However, the EC could not hold talks with the BNP due to legal complication as a writ petition is pending with the higher court as to which faction should be invited to the dialogue.

Earlier in April and May last year, the EC also held separate talks with members of the civil society, the NGOs and senior journalists of the electoral reform proposals.

Now, the EC is busy preparing its report on the basis of recommendations made by the political parties during the dialogues.