‘EC has no jurisdiction in forming polls-time govt’

Senior Correspondent: The Election Commission (EC) has no legal jurisdiction in forming polls-time government before announcing the schedule for the election, said Awami League (AL) general secretary, also Road Transports and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader.

He said, “Before announcing the schedule for the election, I think, election activities specially forming polls-time government is not under the legal jurisdiction of EC. The allegation made by BNP over the election-time government is not under the constitutional jurisdiction of EC.”

The Minister came up with the statement while addressing a press conference over “politics and contemporary issues of the country” held at his office of the Secretariat on Thursday.

In reply to a query, Quader said, “BNP has no scope to secure spot in the polls-time government as the party is not representing the current parliament.”

“The party (BNP) was offered for Home Ministry of the polls-time government of 2014 general election, urging participation in the election. It was offered as the party was one of the representative of the then parliament. As the party has not representative in the current parliament, the government has no plan to offer any ministry of the polls-time government,” the Minister said.

In reaction to BNP’s threat of not participating in the election without the party chairperson Khaleda Zia, the AL general secretary said, “The next general election will be held in accordance with the constitution, like the way of other democratic countries of the world. The election process will go ahead on its pace and it will not wait for someone.”

“It is only BNP’s decision whether the party will take part in the election or not. There is nothing to think that the election-train will halt as the party will not participate.”

In reply to another question, Quader said, “They had tried their level best to resist the polls in 2014 after boycotting it . Were they able to foil it?”

“It is constitutional right for BNP to participate or to boycott the election. As the election will be held on proper time according to the constitution, the government has no headache whether the party would participate in the polls,” he said.

risingbd/Dhaka/May 03, 2018/Naymuddin/A K Azad