Former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Mohammad Abu Hena said, qualified CEC and election commissioner are needed. Otherwise, fair elections are not possible. Along with this, the development of our country’s political culture is also needed. It is possible to hold effective elections without changing the current system.
Mohammad Abu Hena sat in a meeting with the Election Management Reform Commission at the Election Bhaban in Agargaon on Monday (November 11). He told reporters after the meeting.
Asked what his opinion was, former CEC Abu Hena said, “I came at the invitation of the commission. I conducted the general elections on June 12, 1996. I shared my experience on this occasion. I pay tribute to those who were injured and killed in the uprising of our student masses. I have some recommendations regarding the upcoming elections. I told them, I hope they will consider them. My biggest thing is that I want the elections to be held in the country in the future, whether they are general elections or other elections, to be fair and peaceful and for the welfare of the country.
He said, no matter how good the law is, if it is not implemented, it will not be effective. No matter how much reform is done, the Election Commission needs qualified people, a qualified commission is needed. A qualified CEC and other election commissioners are needed. If they are not qualified, there will be no fair elections. And we need to develop our political culture. This is very important. Candidate selection needs to be fair. It should not be imposed from above. It should come from below. Qualified candidates should be given through local elections through votes. If all parties implement this, it will be beneficial for the country.
Abu Hena said, my personal opinion is that there is no need to change the election system. This system can be effective. I do not think that a new system is needed. Do not think that it is working well in all countries where there is a proportional system. I know this. The system we have, which has been tested by the people, needs to be made effective. This is the most important thing. It is better to leave it to the parties to decide how many chambers the parliament will have.
The former CEC said, simply amending the law is not enough. Law enforcement needs to be done by qualified people. People who are not affiliated with any party and have a good reputation are needed. If there is a commitment to fair elections, that can be done.
Badiul Alam said, we are encouraged by what he said. He said we are on the right track. In the light of his experience, it is correct. We are reviewing the laws and regulations in depth. We are satisfied with our progress. We have received some opinions from the parties. We will also sit with the media.
He said, there are many types of opinions. In this case, the constitution will have to be amended to implement many opinions. In this case, we will also sit with the relevant commission, said Badiul Alam Majumdar.