The proposals include making inactive two controversial election commissioners SM Zakaria and Modabbir Hossain Chowdhury, appointment of new election commissioners, transfers of home and establishment secretaries and others related to the electoral process, and minor changes in the election schedule creating scope for correcting the updated voter list, sources present at a daylong meeting of the council of advisers said.

The package proposal also urged Awami League (AL)-led 14-party coalition to withdraw its indefinite countrywide blockade, the sources said adding that the caretaker government is ready to initiate more steps to create a level playing field but the blockade must be withdrawn.

The advisers who expressed high hopes about the package yesterday said they believe the two major political alliances will agree with the proposals.

"We are working as facilitators to resolve the crisis. A solution to the crisis does not depend on us alone. It also depends on the major political alliances," Information Adviser Mahbubul Alam told reporters after the meeting of the council of advisers.

In line with the decision of the council, three advisers --- Justice Fazlul Haque, CM Shafi Sami and Mahbubul Alam met the top leaders of the two alliances BNP-led four-party alliance and AL-led 14-party coalition, and discussed the proposals with them.

After a 45-minute meeting between the advisers and top leaders of BNP at Hawa Bhaban, Information Adviser Mahbubul Alam termed the discussion as 'positive' and told reporters, "We are hopeful," but he declined to disclose the details of the discussion.

Later, BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan told the reporters, "We welcome their initiative, they have raised a few matters from their side and we have explained our views."

"We will welcome it if they can work out a solution," Bhuiyan added, but he also declined to disclose the details of the discussion.

14-party Coordinator Abdul Jalil told reporters after the meeting with advisers, "The advisers have made their proposals. First, we have listened to their views and then explained our position."

Jalil, also AL general secretary, said the discussion between them was good.

Information Adviser Mahbubul Alam told reporters after meeting Hasina, "We have discussed the election-related matters in a follow-up to Saturday night's meeting between the 14-party delegation led by Sheikh Hasina and the chief adviser."

About the package of proposals that they have discussed with the coalition leaders, he said the negotiations might break up if the package proposal becomes public beforehand. "We are trying to resolve the crisis here," said the adviser adding that they will sit today for further discussion and a decision.

Replying to a query, Mahbubul said the meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere. "We are happy with the way it went. They (14-party) talked about the whole issue with an open mind," he added.

Earlier, the daylong hectic meeting of the council of advisers found it very difficult to arrive at a decision without opening the second round of negotiations to resolve the prevailing deadlock centring some crucial issues ranging from the assumption of the office of chief adviser (CA) by the president to the hurried announcement of the election schedule.

The meeting chaired by President and CA Iajuddin Ahmed finally decided to send a delegation of advisers to the two chiefs of the two alliances -- Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina, to negotiate with them for a solution to the crisis on the basis of the package proposal.

The council of advisers sat to review the demands and proposals of the two major alliances that had been placed to them on Saturday night when the advisers had held long talks with the alliances' leaders at Bangabhaban. The council meeting, that had started at 11:00am and ended at about 5:00pm, discussed every issue related to the upcoming election and the prevailing political situation.

Sources said at the meeting the advisers talked about the recent appointment of two election commissioners, one of whom had had aspirations to be a BNP candidate in the next election, and said the appointment should have been made on consultation with the major political alliances to avoid controversies. If an acceptable person was appointed then the controversy over the EC would not have deepened, they said.

In response to the advisers' criticism President and CA Iajuddin Ahmed defended himself by saying that he had thought Mudabbir Hossain Chowdhury is a good man, sources said.

The CA asked the advisers at the meeting to chalk out measures to make the EC credible for holding a free and fair election.

THE PACKAGE IN DETAIL
At the council meeting, the advisers discussed every demand of AL-led 14-party and BNP-led four-party alliances. On the AL demand for cancellation of the election schedule, the advisers found that it is not possible to cancel the schedule announced by the EC due to the time constraint, as the election must be held by January 25.

The advisers agreed that the scheduled dates for completing other stages of the electoral process like filing of applications for candidacies, and scrutiny of the nomination papers can be rearranged keeping the date of polling on January 21 as it is, sources said.

BNP-led four-party alliance's leaders, after the meeting with the CA and other advisers on Saturday night said they have no objection to such changes in the election schedule.

About correcting the voter list, the EC Secretary briefed the meeting saying that there is always scope for including and deleting names on the updated voter list until the day before the polling date. The advisers included the idea of correcting the voter list in the package proposal.

If the EC takes measures to correct the updated voter list by going from door to door, it will need more time which is not in abundance right now since the election must be held within 90 days of the dissolution of the last parliament. To extend the deadline for holding the election, explanation of the constitutional provision regarding the matter must be sought from the Supreme Court.

About 14-party's demand for reconstitution of the EC including removal of election commissioners SM Zakaria and Mudabbir Hossain Chowdhury, the council of advisers in its proposal said the two election commissioners can be made inactive during the election. If the two major alliances agree on the proposal, the advisers will initiate moves to implement the proposals, giving the two election commissioners options of taking leaves of absence or resignations, sources said.

Once the two election commissioners leave the EC either temporarily or permanently, the president will appoint more election commissioners to make the EC credible to all.

The leaders of BNP hinted that they will not object to such a move.

Al-led 14-party has been categorically demanding, for a long time, transfers of some secretaries including the secretaries to home and establishment ministries, and the cabinet division. The council of advisers yesterday agreed to transfer the secretaries of the two ministries and also assured the coalition that more transfers related to the upcoming election might follow if it wants.