The New Nation - Internet Edition

Pankaj Karmakar

The Awami League is eager to bring reform within the party as per the proposal of the Election Commission to ensure transparency in the party activities.

The party will need to amend its constitution to be registered with the Election Commission as a political party, party leaders said.

The party constitution encoded that it required a national council to enact, change, improve or amend the constitution.

The constitution of Awami League was last amended through a national council held on December 26, 2002.

Awami League Acting General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam told The New Nation, "We are ready to amend the constitution. But it is a tough task under the emergency rule to convene the party's National Council for the approval of constitutional amendment."

Ashraful also informed that the party would request the Government at the formal dialogue to create a positive atmosphere to hold a national council to bring about the required change in the constitution.

According to the current constitution an 11-member parliamentary board was all in all to nominate the candidates for the parliamentary constituencies. But in line with the changed situation a section of the partymen proposed the policymakers to amend the provision to ensure transparency in the candidate selection process. At the party's extended meeting on 26th May the grassroots level leaders and activists also voiced for changing the process.

Talking to the New Nation, the acting AL general secretary said, "The grassroots level leaders will select three to five names for the party candidates for every electoral constituency. The party high command will select the appropriate candidate from the short list."

Out of 74 organisational districts the party could not organise council sessions in 11 districts and in other 11 districts it could not complete the council session though it started its procedure.

"We have taken all necessary steps to complete the district councils to resolve intra-party conflicts before the parliamentary polls. The organising secretaries of these committees would report to the party presidium in this regard after the central leaders end their countrywide tour", he noted.