Committed to PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO KNOW
Vol. 5 Num 748 Wed. July 05, 2006  
   
Front Page


Voter List
Govt, opposition differ on ways to make it flawless


The ruling BNP and the opposition Awami League (AL) lawmakers yesterday in parliament agreed about the need for a flawless voter list, but differed on the ways to have it prepared.

The AL lawmakers called for the voter list to be prepared through reconstitution of the Election Commission (EC). They said the chief election commissioner (CEC) and two election commissioners must resign for the people to regain confidence in the EC.

In reply to AL lawmaker Abdur Razzak, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Moudud Ahmed said they too want a flawless voter list, but the constitution does not allow the government power to remove any member of the EC.

"It's solely the Election Commission's jurisdiction to prepare the voter list. We hope they will prepare an accurate voter list in accordance with the Supreme Court's verdict," Moudud said.

Abdur Razzak said, "People will never accept a voter list prepared by the present Commission as they have already lost confidence in it."

Taking floor on a point of order, AL lawmaker Faruk Khan described as false the statement of the state minister for home affairs regarding the deaths of a policeman and an opposition activist during the Sunday's blockade.

"Both the opposition activist and the policeman were killed by the government, whereas the state minister claimed that the opposition activist died of cardiac arrest and the policeman was killed by the opposition activists," he added.

In reply, the law minister said, " You (AL) are looking for dead bodies for political gains, but such politicking will never be tolerated."