Dhaka: Speakers at a discussion in Dhaka on Thursday said the next parliamentary elections will be questionable unless honest and competent persons are appointed Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and election commissioners.

‘The identities of those who will be appointed CEC and election commissioners are very important. Those affiliated with any political party shouldn't be recruited. How can we expect the election commissioners will properly conduct the elections if they aren't honest and competent?’, former CEC Dr ATM Shamsul Huda told the programme.

Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Shujan), a non-government organisation working on election and good governance, arranged the discussion at the Jatiya Press Club over the enactment of a fresh law to appoint the CEC and election commissioners.

Dr Huda said the nation will be grateful to the President if he forms a good commission.

Talking about the draft law proposed by his commission, he said they drafted the law titled ‘Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners (Appointment Procedure) Bill 2011’ following talks with political parties in 2011.

As per the proposed law of the Huda Commission, there shall be a five-member search committee with the outgoing EC as its Convener to propose three names against each vacant post. And the President will appoint anyone from the three names against each post after the scrutiny by the parliament business advisory committee.

Shujan Secretary Dr Badiul Alam Majumder in his keynote paper suggested the formation of a five-member search committee with an Appellate Division justice, two representatives from two political parties whose leaders became the Prime Minister at least twice, and each representative from the civil society and the media.

But the representatives from the civil society and the media must be free from any convincing allegation of political loyalty, he said.

Dr Badiul Alam said neither the commission headed by Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad nor the government took any initiative over the draft law proposed by the Huda Commission.

Columnist Syed Abul Maksud said, ‘If the next election commission is not credible and honest, there'll be a question about the next election as well, which will invite disaster for our nation.’

Former election commissioner M Shakhawat Hossain said if the election commission is formed with three members, it will be easier to take any decision.

He stressed the need for the enactment of law over the appointment of election commissioners as well as making the search committee larger with representation from different sectors.

BNP leader Inam Ahmed Chowdhury said it is now essential for two major political parties to reach a compromise over the election-time government and reconstitution of the election commission.

Prof Asif Nazrul said, 'If the President informs all what he suggests the Prime Minister (over the formation of next EC), we'll be benefited.'

Shujan President M Hafiz Uddin Khan said though there is provision in the Constitution to enact a law for appointing the election commissioners, no initiative is yet to be seen in this regard.