TDS Desk:

The Election Reform Commission has made a final recommendation to establish a bicameral national parliament with 500 seats.

Additionally, it recommended the provision for the direct election of the president by members of both the upper and lower houses of parliament, as well as by all local public representatives.

The commission also suggested allowing non-partisan individuals to be nominated as presidential candidates.

It further proposed amending the constitution to form a permanent National Constitutional Council. This council would be entrusted with the authority to appoint the chief and 20 other advisers of the caretaker government, the election commission, and all other constitutional bodies.

The commission suggested setting the term of the caretaker government at four months, during which both national and local elections would be held under its supervision. It also emphasized holding local government elections before the national parliamentary elections.

The interim government has published the full report of the first phase of six commissions formed for state reform. Analysis of the published report reveals these details.

The Election Reform Commission was formed under the leadership of Sujan Secretary Dr. Badiul Alam Majumder.

Meanwhile, assuming that the Jatiya Sangsad (JS) will be held in December, the commission recommended providing postal ballot voting opportunities for expatriates registered on the voter list by October.

It also proposed the introduction of an online voting system in the future, alongside ballots, for parliamentary elections. Other suggestions include re-elections if less than 40% of registered voters cast their votes in any constituency, the introduction of a “No Vote” option in national elections and canceling the election if “No Vote” wins.

The commission also recommended passing a referendum law in the upcoming parliamentary session.

The report recommends empowering the Election Commission (EC) to suspend elections and hold re-elections.

It also suggested investigating and prosecuting those responsible for organizing the fraudulent 2018 election and the one-sided elections of 2014 and 2024. If there are concerns about the fairness of an election, the commission recommended that the EC should refer the matter to the Supreme Court through the president to suspend the election for up to 90 days.

KEY RECOMMENDATIONS:

PRESIDENT:

Election of a neutral, honest, competent, and reputable individual as the president.

The president should be elected by a broader electoral college comprising members of both houses of parliament and all elected representatives of local government.

PRIME MINISTER:

Amend the constitution to limit the prime minister’s tenure to a maximum of two terms.

Disqualify any individual who has served two terms as prime minister from running for the presidency.

Prohibit the same person from simultaneously holding the positions of party chief, prime minister, and leader of parliament.

CARETAKER GOVERNMENT:

Limit the term of the caretaker government to four months, during which it will oversee all national and local elections.

Authorize the caretaker government to implement necessary legal reforms and administrative reshuffling to ensure fair and credible elections.

Allow the National Constitutional Council to finalize the appointment of the chief of the caretaker government and 20 advisers.

If the recommendation to form the Permanent National Constitutional Council is not accepted, a high-level committee comprising representatives of all political parties, experts, civil society, and other stakeholders should prepare an outline for the caretaker government, which the ruling party must implement.

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION:

Only non-partisan individuals should be nominated as presidential candidates by political parties.

The president should be elected through votes from a broader electoral college consisting of members of both parliamentary chambers and all local government representatives.

ELECTION CERTIFICATION:

Within 48 hours of a national election, the Election Commission must certify the election’s fairness, impartiality, and accuracy before publishing the results in a gazette.

If any political party participating in the election is aggrieved by the EC’s announcement, it can file a complaint within 48 hours to the National Constitutional Council or the Supreme Court’s Appellate Division.