US envoy holds closed-door meeting with parties, lawyers

Trackback URL

Download PDF

US Ambassador James Moriarty had a closed-door parley with leaders of major political parties and leading lawyers to know their views on holding general election under the state of emergency and upazila parishad polls before the national election.

Awami League leaders Syed Ashraful Islam and Asaduzzaman Noor, BNP leader Nazrul Islam Khan, Jatiya Party leader Ruhul Amin Howlader, Jamaat leader Mohammad Qamaruzzaman, SCBA President Barrister Shafique Ahmed and Barrister Naushad Zamir joined the meeting at the ambassador’s Gulshan residence.

Insiders told the news agency that the leaders and lawyers put forward arguments in favour of lifting the state of emergency before holding the general election during consultation which lasted for one and a half hours from 4:00pm.

The US envoy was perhaps given the impression that if the emergency is lifted, the convicts would come out of jails and create trouble during the elections. But, they argued that there is no link between lifting the emergency and release of convicts as law will take its own course to deal with the release of any convict.

He asked about grounds of the opposition to holding the election to Upazila Parishad prior to general election and he was given the idea that the Election Commission has the authority to hold the local-body elections.

The leaders and lawyers quoted article 58 (D) of the constitution that spells out the function of the non-party caretaker government.

Article 58D (1) says the non-party caretaker government shall discharge its function as an interim government and shall carry on routine function of such government with aid and assistance of such persons of the republic; and, except in the case of necessity for the discharge of such function, it shall not make any policy decision.

Article 58 D (2) says the non-party caretaker government shall give to the Election Commission all possible aid and assistance that may be required for holding the general election to parliament “peacefully, fairly and impartially”.

Leave a Reply