Citizens responding to the electoral reform commission鈥檚 open-ended survey have shown distrust of the existing election system.
Most of them have suggested creation of an 鈥榚lectoral cadre鈥� service, and recommended that an 鈥榠ndependent鈥� Election Commission should be tasked with holding elections at both the national and local levels by its own staff instead of employing the administration cadre officers.
Among other major suggestions are determining bachelor鈥檚 degree as the minimum educational qualification of a candidate, national elections under a caretaker government, limiting elected candidates to serve maximum two terms, democracy in party nominations, reintroduction of 鈥楴o鈥� vote, independence, transparency and accountability of the Election Commission.
The electoral reform commission on October 22 opened a dedicated website, email address and Facebook page, inviting public opinions. November 15 was first set as the deadline for giving opinions, which was later extended to December 15.聽
As of November 18, the commission received 434 comments and attached documents through its website, 335 comments on Facebook pages, 215 emails, 71 messages through Facebook messenger and more than 50 hard copies, said Nadia Nivin, one of its members.
鈥楨very day, we are receiving immense response from the citizens that are very much relevant to the work we are doing,鈥� she said, adding that public engagement is crucial for electoral reforms.
One of the responders on Facebook page, Imam Mahmud Riad Palash suggested that instead of the executive branch, Election Commission officials should control the entire election process. Echoing many others, he also recommended that political parties should nominate their election candidates through democratic processes.聽聽聽
Another responder Moin Khan said that independent 鈥榚lectoral cadre鈥� officers should be deployed in all elections. He also wrote on the commission鈥檚 Facebook page that the authority of national identity cards must be returned to the Election Commission from the home ministry.
The now ousted Awami League government took a decision in November 2023 to shift the authority of the national identity cards programme from the Election Commission, which held its authority since its launch years ago, to the home ministry.聽
鈥楾here may be an Election Council under the Election Commission in each district. The council, instead of the district administration, will be responsible for holding all kinds of local government elections,鈥� suggested one certain Zahidul Islam.
The electoral reform commission website has provided an opinion form for responders to fill up. The form has also an option to give opinions anonymously.
Nadia said that the commission received 鈥榯houghtful鈥� suggestions from the responders. Most of them highlighted elections under a caretaker government, reformation of the electoral systems, political party registration laws, and independence of the Election Commission.
鈥楢lso, they have raised issues like expatriates鈥� voting rights, transparency of polling booths, and the role of administration and law enforcement agencies on the election day,鈥� Nadia added.
The interim government announced a full-fledged electoral reform commission along with five other commissions on October 3.
Responding to 抖阴精品, the electoral reform commission chief, Badiul Alam Majumder, said on Tuesday that the commission was reading each public opinion thoroughly to reflect those to its reform proposal to the chief adviser.
鈥榃e will directly talk to some of the responders with important and useful suggestions. We are hopeful that our reform proposal, upholding public opinions, will be implemented,鈥� he said.
On November 11, Badiul said that constitutional reform would be necessary to implement some of the suggestions coming from the public.