Election experts and politicians on Saturday demanded election-time neutral government, reintroduction of 'no vote' removal of voterless elections.
They made the demand at a seminar 'How to Reform the Election Commission' at CIRDAP auditorium hosted by the Reporters Forum for Election and Democracy (RFED).
Speakers said, neutral government is essential for holding free, fair and credible general elections.
Textiles and Jute Adviser and also former election commissioner M Sakhawat Hossain, Chief of Electoral Reform Commission Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar, political leaders, student representatives and journalists spoke at the seminar.
Jamaat will wait for elections until reforms are completed, said Jammat's Assistant Secretary General Hamidur Rahman.
Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar said the Election Commission, the administration or the government, the political parties, media and the civil society are important stakeholders to make an election fair and credible.
Talking about the role of government, he said there was a caretaker government system, but it was scrapped in a quite unconstitutional and unjust way. "An election-time neutral government system is needed no matter what we call it. It may be the caretaker government system or another system," he said.
Describing the election as a long-term process, Dr Majumdar said the process starts from the preparation of electoral rolls. "This election process must be fair, impartial and credible. Otherwise elections would be controversial and unacceptable. So, we need to review the whole process," he said.
Noting that democracy is a basic structure of the constitution, he said if the election does not make democratic system effective, it is a violation of the constitution.
"We witnessed this violation in the past," he said, expressing his optimism that there would be no such violation in future.
Political consensus and change of political culture are required for holding a fair election, he said, adding that the political parties had played the responsible roles during the 1991 general election, which was one of the best elections in Bangladesh.
The chief of the Electoral Reform Commission asked the political parties to submit their election-related written proposals to the commission.
Adviser Sakhawat Hossain recommended the effectiveness of the Election Commission's (EC's) actions against the government employees over election irregularities should be harsher.
"If a government employee makes any deviation while working with the Election Commission for 15 days, the report of the Election Commission should be the final report for his or her career," he said.
If they (government employees) can be made accountable in this way, many problems would go, he added.
The former election commissioner said the caretaker government won't be required so much in case of a bicameral parliamentary system. "In that case, the EC will have to be given a kind of authority over the ministries during the elections."
He criticised the RPO amendment that reduced the EC's authority over cancellation of an entire election.
Sakhawat said proportional representation can be introduced.
BNP Vice Chairman Asaduzzaman Ripon said a caretaker government or election-time government system should be re-introduced. "I think the caretaker government should be in place for 100 years."
He said there should be no provision for uncontested elections. In case of a single candidate for a seat, the polls should be rescheduled, he added.
He said the law regarding appointment of Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners needs to be amended.
BNP Chairperson's Adviser Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal said as per his party's 31-point state reform proposal, if BNP is elected, it would form a national government with representatives of other political parties.
"No one shall be the Prime Minister or the President for over two consecutive terms. It is a proposal of the BNP. There should be a balance between the authority of the President and the Prime Minister, which was included in the BNP's reform proposal," he said.
During the election time, no writ petition should be accepted by any court without taking the opinion of the Election Commission, said Moazzem.
Jamaat leader Dr Shafiqul Islam Masud said, "The caretaker government system should be reinstated permanently in the constitution."
He suggested EVM or DVM systems should be scrapped as the machines are used as tools to deceive the people.
General Secretary of Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) Ruhin Hossain Prince recommended restoration of election-time government, reinstatement of 'No vote' system, introduction of PR system and dissolution of Parliament ahead of election.
