Desk Report,
There are challenges in organizing elections due to lack of consensus: Salahuddin Ahmed
BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed believes that there are challenges in organizing elections as political parties have not yet reached an agreement on a democratic transition. He said, “Although we are free from fascism, we may not yet have a consensus on the transition to a democratic process among ourselves. There is time, and I hope that everyone will be able to reach that consensus through discussion.”
There are challenges in organizing elections due to lack of consensus: Salahuddin Ahmed
Salahuddin Ahmed said this at a meeting titled ‘Expectations and Challenges for Fair Elections: What the Government, Political Parties and Civil Society Can Do to Organize Successful Elections’ at the CIRDAP Auditorium in the capital on Thursday. The meeting was organized by the Citizen Platform Citizen Coalition. Leaders of various political parties and representatives of civil society participated in the meeting.
Salahuddin Ahmed said that an independent Election Commission, an independent judiciary, a caretaker government system and a free media are the safeguards for free, fair and impartial elections. If these are ensured, there will be no more challenges in organizing fair elections in the future.
Salauddin Ahmed, stating that reforms, trials and elections are not interdependent, said that reforms that are immediately implementable can be implemented and are being implemented through the issuance of executive orders and ordinances. Those that are not immediately implementable but need to be taken, the government can take them. If this government cannot complete them, the next government will do it.
Regarding constitutional amendments, he said that the National Assembly is the legitimate forum to approve constitutional amendment proposals. The consensus commission is discussing whether there is any legitimate process beyond this. If there is, they will agree. But they do not want any such example to be created, which will be challenged in court later and a questionable decision will be made.
Regarding the July murder trial, this member of the BNP standing committee said that the people understand that trial is not a conditional matter. No time limit can be set for the trial. The trial process will be conducted independently. Whichever government comes, it will have to conduct that process.
