JP Complains to Commonwealth Chief Over Election Exclusion
Ahead of the 13th National Parliamentary Election, representatives of the Jatiya Party held a meeting with the visiting Commonwealth Secretary-General, Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson (SharlI Bachuyi), where they made several “complaints.”
According to a press release of the Jatiya Party, the meeting was held on Sunday evening at Hotel InterContinental.
The press release stated that the main topics of discussion in the meeting were the situation at the grassroots level ahead of the upcoming national election, the political environment, and an internationally acceptable electoral process.
The Election Commission is preparing to hold the national parliamentary election in the first half of next February. The government has also decided to hold a referendum on the same day.
As part of the preparations, the Election Commission held dialogues with political parties, but the Jatiya Party was not invited.
Before that, the National Consensus Commission held dialogues with political parties to reach an agreement on state reform initiatives, and the Jatiya Party was not invited there either.
These issues were also raised in the meeting between the Jatiya Party and the Commonwealth Secretary-General.
According to the party’s press release, Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader alleged in the meeting, “The interim government is not ensuring equal opportunity (level playing field) for everyone in a free, fair, unbiased and participatory election. The Jatiya Party was not given the opportunity to participate in the meetings of the Consensus Commission and the Election Commission.”
Among others in the Jatiya Party delegation at the meeting were the party’s Secretary General Shamim Haider Patwary, Presidium Member Mir Abdus Sabur Asud, Moinur Rabbi Chowdhury, Advisor to the Jatiya Party Chairman retired Major Md. Mahfuzur Rahman, and Central Committee Office Secretary Mahmud Alam.
On behalf of the Commonwealth, present were the organization’s Legal Advisor Dinusha Panditaratne and Assistant Research Officer Sarthak Roy.
