Amid raging debates over whether Parliament will exist during the
national elections, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said the
President will make the final call.
"The Prime Minister will inform the President when s/he prefers the polls to be held, according to the West Minister type of democracy," she said.
"Then, the President will issue order," she said during question-answer session in Parliament.
"For example, I will decide when the election will be held and then the President will issue the order. Elections will not be held retaining the Parliament. He (President) will decide the size of the Cabinet, whether to dissolve Parliament... This is his (President) prerogative," Hasina said in response to Jatiya Party MP Mujibul Haque Chunnu's question.
But, the Prime Minister did not elaborate.
Caretaker "unnecessary"
Hasina has said the interim government system is not needed anymore as polls held under the incumbent Awami League-led coalition government has been "free and fair".
"The elections held since the coalition government took office have been free and fair. So, there is no necessity of a caretaker government as a democratic environment needed to hold free and fair elections has returned after the present government took office," she told MPs.
Her government scrapped the caretaker government provision through the 15th constitutional amendment after the Supreme Court verdict on the 13th Amendment.
The latest constitutional amendment allows parliamentary polls to be held under elected partisan government. But, the BNP-led alliance has been demanding restoration of the caretaker system alleging that fair elections will not be possible under a party government.
Suranjit Sengputa, a member of the special parliamentary committee that recommended amendments, had said that Parliament will be "inactive" during the national elections.
Workers Party chief Rashed Khan Menon had been saying that a Parliament existing during a national election would give rise to "constitutional complexities."
The non-party caretaker government provision was incorporated in the Constitution in 1996 in the face of widespread demonstration launched by the then opposition Awami League.
The Prime Minister said, "We don't have any specific information about caretaker government system in any democratic country."
Referring to the previous military-backed emergency-time administration, Hasina said that the experience "still haunts" the people. "The people will lose their democratic rights if the system is revived and if they (caretaker) do not leave power."
The government is working to ensure continuation of the Constitutional system. We want democracy to continue� [we] will not push the country towards darkness," she added.
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia is scheduled to give her party's formal reactions to the recently published full verdict of the 13th Amendment at a press conference on Thursday.
The full verdict was published on Sep 16.
"Not covering scams"
The Prime Minster said her government was not covering up financial scams like the one involving Hallmark Group and was taking measures.
She said the Sonali Bank Managing Director was a member of Zia Parishad and added that the rise of the much-talked about Hallmark MD Tanvir Mahmud was from BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's erstwhile Hawa Bhaban political office in Gulshan.
Hasina alleged that when most of the businessmen had fled the country during the former military-backed caretaker government, Mahmud stayed back and thrived.
The Prime Minister said the Anti-Corruption Commission was preparing to sue those involved in the Hallmark scam. "We are sparing no one."
"It will not do by only capturing the perpetrators. The misappropriated money has to be recovered too," Hasina added.
She remarked that the culture of "misappropriating state money" was introduced by the military strongmen, hinting the past military dictatorial rules of BNP's founder Ziaur Rahman and Jatiya Party chief Hussein Muhammad Ershad.
"The military dictators have taught bank looting. They introduced the culture of evading loan repayment," she said.
Hasina mentioned the testimony of a FBI agent against Tarique Rahman in a money laundering case. Tarique is the son of former military strongman Ziaur Rahmand and BNP chief Khaleda Zia and is also the party's Senior Vice-Chairman.
The Prime Minister blamed the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament of whitening black money. "She has embezzled money of an orphanage."
She came down hard on Khaleda for not attending courts on scheduled hearing dates. On Aug 28, hearing on acceptance of charge-sheet against Khaleda in the Zia Charitable Trust graft case was adjourned for the 10th time.
Hasina also criticised the BNP chief for mysteriously "falling ill" on scheduled hearing dates in graft cases against her.
At the end of the concluding speech, the Prime Minister thanked the absent opposition chief.
"I hope she will return to Parliament before 90 business days," she said poking fun at the fact that one loses membership in case of being absent for 90 consecutive days.
"The Prime Minister will inform the President when s/he prefers the polls to be held, according to the West Minister type of democracy," she said.
"Then, the President will issue order," she said during question-answer session in Parliament.
"For example, I will decide when the election will be held and then the President will issue the order. Elections will not be held retaining the Parliament. He (President) will decide the size of the Cabinet, whether to dissolve Parliament... This is his (President) prerogative," Hasina said in response to Jatiya Party MP Mujibul Haque Chunnu's question.
But, the Prime Minister did not elaborate.
Caretaker "unnecessary"
Hasina has said the interim government system is not needed anymore as polls held under the incumbent Awami League-led coalition government has been "free and fair".
"The elections held since the coalition government took office have been free and fair. So, there is no necessity of a caretaker government as a democratic environment needed to hold free and fair elections has returned after the present government took office," she told MPs.
Her government scrapped the caretaker government provision through the 15th constitutional amendment after the Supreme Court verdict on the 13th Amendment.
The latest constitutional amendment allows parliamentary polls to be held under elected partisan government. But, the BNP-led alliance has been demanding restoration of the caretaker system alleging that fair elections will not be possible under a party government.
Suranjit Sengputa, a member of the special parliamentary committee that recommended amendments, had said that Parliament will be "inactive" during the national elections.
Workers Party chief Rashed Khan Menon had been saying that a Parliament existing during a national election would give rise to "constitutional complexities."
The non-party caretaker government provision was incorporated in the Constitution in 1996 in the face of widespread demonstration launched by the then opposition Awami League.
The Prime Minister said, "We don't have any specific information about caretaker government system in any democratic country."
Referring to the previous military-backed emergency-time administration, Hasina said that the experience "still haunts" the people. "The people will lose their democratic rights if the system is revived and if they (caretaker) do not leave power."
The government is working to ensure continuation of the Constitutional system. We want democracy to continue� [we] will not push the country towards darkness," she added.
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia is scheduled to give her party's formal reactions to the recently published full verdict of the 13th Amendment at a press conference on Thursday.
The full verdict was published on Sep 16.
"Not covering scams"
The Prime Minster said her government was not covering up financial scams like the one involving Hallmark Group and was taking measures.
She said the Sonali Bank Managing Director was a member of Zia Parishad and added that the rise of the much-talked about Hallmark MD Tanvir Mahmud was from BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's erstwhile Hawa Bhaban political office in Gulshan.
Hasina alleged that when most of the businessmen had fled the country during the former military-backed caretaker government, Mahmud stayed back and thrived.
The Prime Minister said the Anti-Corruption Commission was preparing to sue those involved in the Hallmark scam. "We are sparing no one."
"It will not do by only capturing the perpetrators. The misappropriated money has to be recovered too," Hasina added.
She remarked that the culture of "misappropriating state money" was introduced by the military strongmen, hinting the past military dictatorial rules of BNP's founder Ziaur Rahman and Jatiya Party chief Hussein Muhammad Ershad.
"The military dictators have taught bank looting. They introduced the culture of evading loan repayment," she said.
Hasina mentioned the testimony of a FBI agent against Tarique Rahman in a money laundering case. Tarique is the son of former military strongman Ziaur Rahmand and BNP chief Khaleda Zia and is also the party's Senior Vice-Chairman.
The Prime Minister blamed the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament of whitening black money. "She has embezzled money of an orphanage."
She came down hard on Khaleda for not attending courts on scheduled hearing dates. On Aug 28, hearing on acceptance of charge-sheet against Khaleda in the Zia Charitable Trust graft case was adjourned for the 10th time.
Hasina also criticised the BNP chief for mysteriously "falling ill" on scheduled hearing dates in graft cases against her.
At the end of the concluding speech, the Prime Minister thanked the absent opposition chief.
"I hope she will return to Parliament before 90 business days," she said poking fun at the fact that one loses membership in case of being absent for 90 consecutive days.
0 comments:
Post a Comment