Sk Hasina Urges Opposition to Bring Bill on Caretaker Govt in Parliament

[Md Akmal]

Dhaka, June 14 (UNB)-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said only the people’s elected representatives will decide under what mechanism and whose authority the next parliamentary polls will be held. “We, the people’s representatives, will do what we need to do for continuation of democracy. That’s why I request the opposition party to place their formula in parliament,” Hasina said. The Prime Minister made the remarks when the executive committee of Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) led by its president Mostaq Hossain met her at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Tuesday noon.

Drawing the attention of opposition leader Khaleda Zia, the Prime Minister said: “Please do not bring in crocodiles by digging the canal.” Mentioning the arrest of Khaleda Zia during the last caretaker government, Hasina said when crocodiles get hungry, they do not choose who to spare and who to eat. She said when the caretaker government system was introduced, the political parties agreed that three elections would be held under this system.

“Three elections have already been held under caretaker governments. And time and again the nation has got bitter experiences from the caretaker governments,” she said. Hasina said unelected people are given state power through the caretaker system and after getting the power, the people in the caretaker government change their mindsets.

She said after assuming power, the caretaker governments start to take care of themselves instead of democracy and the people. “The last caretaker government had planned to stay in power forever, as if government is a permanent settlement. But, in the face of strong national and international pressure, they were compelled to hold parliamentary polls,” she said. Hasina also recalled the “tough” days Khaleda and she herself had to face during the previous military-backed caretaker government.

The Prime Minister said when staying abroad, she was told by some of the advisers of the caretaker government that Khaleda Zia had agreed to leave the country. “The caretaker government had been forcing me not to return home and at the same time its advisers had been telling me that she (Khaleda) had agreed to leave the country. But I did not believe them,” she said. Hasina said she strongly opposed the caretaker government’s move to forcibly send Khaleda Zia abroad. “I told them they cannot send a political leader abroad by force. We may have disagreements between us on many issues for different political ideologies, but I cannot support such an anti-democratic move,” Hasina said she had asserted.

About her call to the opposition party to join parliament, the Prime Minister said they can bring a bill to the Jatiya Sangsad on revising the system of caretaker government. After discussions on the opposition party’s bill on caretaker system, amendments can also be brought to their bill, she said. “But, please do not dig canals that invite crocodiles,” Hasina reiterated. The Prime Minister said Awami League wants to see uninterrupted democracy in Bangladesh to allow people to elect their own government at all times.

Hasina alleged that a vested quarter is plotting to break the continuation of democratic dispensation in Bangladesh. Referring to news reports in some national dailies about violence in the Union Parishad (UP) elections, the Prime Minister said she always collected latest information about each voting center of the UP elections. “Out of over 8,000 centers, unexpected incidents took place at only 19 centres. But a few dailies have printed news reports highlighting the violence,” she said. Hasina said it seems that a force is working to discredit the neutrality and independence of the Election Commission to disrupt democratic progress in Bangladesh.

Giving examples of Awami League candidates, in the Chittagong City Corporation and Habiganj parliamentary by-election, the Prime Minister said the government did not interfere by any means in those elections. For the sake of democracy, the Prime Minister urged the media and people to remain alert about any move to disrupt democratic advancement of the country. Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister M A Karim, Prime Minister’s Office Secretary Mollah Waheeduzzaman, PM’s Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad and DRU general secretary Jamal Uddin, among others, were present.

 

[TopCat]

Well, thats what you needed to say the very first day you opened your mouth. Better late than never.

 

[Md Akmal]

Well, thats what you needed to say the very first day you opened your mouth. Better late than never.

iajdani, are you bulling me or to Sk Hasina, PM ? I am in a doubt ?

 

[TopCat]

iajdani, are you bulling me or to Sk Hasina, PM ? I am in a doubt ?

ohhh .. you were here??? I did not see. It was actually directed towards SH.

 

[Tiki Tam Tam]

Caretaker system still legal: Khaleda

Caretaker system still legal: Khaleda

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Thursday said the constitutional provision of installing an unelected non-partisan caretaker government to oversee general elections remains legal in spite of the recent Supreme Court verdict.

She, however, accused Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of making “wrong and confusing interpretations of the verdict” that declared illegal the 13th amendment to the constitution that contains the caretaker government system.

The opposition leader said they will sit in discussions with the government if it declares clearly that the non-party caretaker government system will continue and the provision must be kept in the constitution as it is.

While addressing a crowded press conference at her Gulshan office, she however said, “We must sit with the government on who will be the head of the non-party caretaker government, if necessary. The existing provision of the caretaker government must continue as it is.”

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina several times said as the SC declared the caretaker government system illegal so it cannot continue in the constitution. She, however, urged the opposition to return to the parliament with a new formula of caretaker system for discussion.

Saying according to the current provision former chief justice ABM Khairul Haque will head the next caretaker government, when journalists sought to know her stance, Khaleda termed Haque ‘controversial’ and said he is not a neutral person at all.

“There are a lot of options [regarding the head of caretaker government] in existing provision and we will be able to settle it through discussion if government withdraws its decision to scrap caretaker system,” she added.

She also said, “No new formula is necessary. We gave our opinion clearly and now the government has to take their decision. We also want to discuss about strengthening the Election Commission comprising neutral and competent persons.”

Rejecting to the repeated call to sit in dialogue made by ruling party leaders including the prime minister, Khaleda said, “We are not against discussions. We can sit anywhere to discuss about important issues with anyone for the sake of national interest. But, it won’t be anything except wasting time to discuss on that issue which has no need to discuss.”

Illegal.

Yet Legal.

No formula necessary.

And how will all this pan out?

 

[Md Akmal]

AL ready to discuss C.G. issue with BNP; does not want to take unilateral decision: Ashraful

Reported on: June 17, 2011 21:24 PM
Reported in: Politics
Dhaka, June 17 (UNB)- Ruling Awami League general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam Friday said Awami League does not want to take unilateral decision about caretaker government and is ready to discuss the issue at any time with opposition BNP.

“If BNP does not come to parliament to discuss the matter, Awami League will amend the constitution in the light of the court verdict and the election will be held accordingly,” he said at a press conference at the party’s Dhanmondi office in the afternoon.

Ashraful said Awami League is also ready to give formal invitation to BNP if they want to discuss the caretaker issue.

He said the previous caretaker government was the result of corruption, greed for power and misdeeds of Khaleda Zia. The way the previous caretaker government had created panic in the country, people do not want to see the repeat of that situation, he said.

“People want implementation of the verdict of the highest court,” he said, adding that the system of caretaker government has been declared illegal and it is not an elected government.

The Awami League leader said Khaleda Zia wants to create anarchy through hartal and come to power through backdoor.

However, Asharful said they believe that Khaleda will finally agree on discussion on caretaker government and requested her to discuss the matter in parliament.

 

[monitor]

Dialogue in the offing on
caretaker formula

Abdur Rahman Khan



The Caretaker Government issue, that stirred the country's politics amidst street protests and hartals in recent weeks, have now created some room for discussion and dialogue between the ruling party and the opposition.
"BNP is ready to join a dialogue on minor issues only when the provision of caretaker system is kept functioning", said the leader of the opposition and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia at a press conference on Thursday afternoon.
"We can discuss who would be the chief of the caretaker government", she said indicating a positive gesture to the government offer for a dialogue.
With the apex court of the country declaring the caretaker system "illegal" and the ruling party's determination to scrap it, the opposition sharply reacted to the issue calling hartals and street demonstrations against the government initiative.
The government already took an initiative to amend the Constitution incorporating new elements of controversy and discarding the interim caretaker government system that had earlier been incorporated in the Constitution through 13th amendment by the short-lived parliament of 1996.

Hasina's offer
However, after watching the public reactions in the Opposition's hartal Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has offered the opposition to settle the issue together.
She categorically said that only elected representatives of the people should decide what is to be done to resolve the dispute over the Caretaker Government system.
Hasina, who along with Motiur Rahman Nizami of Jamaat and H M Ershad of Jatiya Party, had together began movement demanding caretaker system, now warns opposition leader Khaleda Zia that vested quarters were harbouring to capture power through backdoor and requested her to prevent such elements unitedly.
"This vested quarter, which has no chance to come to power through election, is trying to find fault with the elected government for coming to power," she said.
She said that after the verdict of the High Court, there is no scope to continue the Caretaker Government system in its present form. "Let us find a way out to make it legal when the Supreme Court had declared it illegal."
Speaking at an extended joint meeting of city Awami League held Tuesday, party General Secretary and LGRD minister Syed Ashraful Islam hoped that the main opposition BNP would eventually sit across the table for discussing the Caretaker Government issue.
"Khaleda Zia always starts with 'no', but ultimately she prefers to conclude with 'yes'. At present BNP is showing its reluctance to sit for the discussion, but eventually they will come and sit with us for such a dialogue for their own necessity," said Syed Ashraf.

BNP's position
In a quick reply to PM's advice to the boycotting opposition to join parliament and place a bill on their formula of caretaker government, leaders of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) asked Sheikh Hasina to place a caretaker-government bill in parliament, as a way out of the present standoff over the issue.
"You have got to place the bill on caretaker government before the parliament", said BNP acting secretary-general Mirza Fakhrul Islam.
BNP leaders at a rally on Wednesday made it clear that the national elections have to be held under caretaker government in the interest of the people.
Criticising the Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina, BNP's acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul said, "You had created anarchic situation in the country by calling 173 days of hartal for implementing the caretaker government. Now you are saying that there is no need for caretaker government."
Indicating a rescue formula, Mirza Fakhrul said, "The Supreme Court has suggested that next two elections could be held under the caretaker governments. The Prime Minister has to take initiative in this line,"
Party standing committee member Khandker Mosharraf Hossain said the government is not following the court advice to keep the caretaker government system for next two elections as it wants to cling to power through the next polls without caretaker system.
"We want to make it clear that elections cannot be held under any party government," he asserted.
BNP leaders unequivocally said that the next parliamentary elections must be held under a non-party caretaker government and conducted by a neutral Election Commission.

Crisis of confidence
Meanwhile, Chief Election Commissioner A T M Shamsul Huda has admitted that the EC suffered from a crisis of confidence. No one trusts the EC, no matter what good things it does.
Cricitising the EC's initiative to introduce electronic voting machine, BNP standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan said the government was trying to manipulate the next poll results.
"They spent millions on transparent ballot boxes. Now they are saying Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) have to be used though the people of this country do not know their use," he said.

 

[Tiki Tam Tam]

EVM machines are not difficult to use.

It has been used for quite a few elections in India and even the illiterate know how to use it.

Whenever there is an election in the office, media blitz to include TV is shown to show how to use the EVMs.

 

[Syed Naved]

Most Interesting Thing is A indian is saying Evm,easy but most of the country avoid evm ............wats indias purpose

 

[shiv]

Most Interesting Thing is A indian is saying Evm,easy but most of the country avoid evm ............wats indias purpose

U are one sick miserable troll. U posted in an year old thread where nothing meaningful was discussed only because you could sniff some conspiracy ? Get a life dude !!

 

[Syed Naved]

I dont wish to get suggession from an indian bloody ............not want to say,about trolling : india is champion is not it