DHAKA, 25 May 2005 — Bangladesh’s opposition parties yesterday rejected the appointment of the new chief election commissioner (CEC) as an attempt to politicize the Election Commission.
They blasted the government for appointing the new CEC without consulting opposition leaders. “The unilateral move by the government will deepen political crisis,” they said.
Bangladesh’s constitution, which assigns the government with the task of appointing a CEC, holds no room for consultations with opposition parties.
The Awami League government led by Hasina Wajed had appointed a CEC when it was in power between 1997 to 2001. The AL government had appointed M.A. Syed without consulting the then opposition parties, including the BNP. “We are rejecting the unilateral appointment of Justice M.A. Aziz as the chief election commissioner,” AL General Secretary Abdul Jalil said. He said the unilateral appointment is part of the BNP-Jamaat-e-Islami-led ruling coalition’s plan to get re-elected to office through vote rigging.
Meanwhile, the newly appointed CEC said he did not think he was unacceptable to the opposition because he had always remained above politics.
