EC commissioner contradicts colleague, seeing PMO's executive authority

An election commissioner on Wednesday publicly contradicted her colleague for suggesting that the ministries of public administration and home affairs should be placed under the jurisdiction of the election commission during holding of national elections.

Commissioner Kabita Khanam termed unconstitutional the suggestion given recently by another commissioner, Mahbub Talukdar who also issued note of dissent for the commission's failure to discuss the issue of participatory elections.

Talking to newsmen at her office, Kabita Khanam expressed her views that the prime minister's office has been entrusted with all executive authorities in accordance with the current constitution.

So, she argued, 'there is no scope to bring under the commission the two ministries that play critical role in holding free and fair elections.

However, article 126 of the constitution says: "It shall be the duty of all executive authorities to assist the Election Commission in the discharge of its functions."

Mahbub Talukdar, at an EC meeting on 15 October, made a proposal for considering transferring authority of the two said ministries to the EC during the elections to empower the EC and increase the people’s confidence in the commission.

“During our dialogue with stakeholders, some suggested public administration and home ministries to be placed under the jurisdiction of the EC during the elections. Some also suggested bringing finance and local government ministries under the EC’s jurisdiction. Undoubtedly it’s a debatable issue. But I think we can consider this. Because if it happens, the people’s confidence in the election process would be enhanced and it would obviously be helpful for holding a free, fair and credible election,” Mahbub Talukdar said in his written proposal.

Dwelling on the note of dissent in the meeting, Kabita Khanam said, the EC takes a decision on the basis of opinion of the majority of five commissioner.

"One may differ on certain issues, but it should not be considered as conflict between the commissioners," she insisted.

Asked about the proposal for deployment of army personnel during the polls, the commissioner said, the appropriate time to discuss army deployment has not yet come.

Main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and other parties demand deployment of the army personnel with magistracy power during the election to stop use of muscle power in the elections.