Dhaka: The Election Commission (EC) would seek appointment of the Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad to discuss the Presidential election schedule, said EC senior secretary Akhtar Ahmed on Sunday. ‘As per tradition, the Chief Election Commissioner meets the Speaker before the announcement of the Presidential election,’ he said. The EC Secretary disclosed the development to reporters after a meeting at the Nirbachan Bhaban in the city’s Agargaon area.
According to United News of Bangladesh, Barrister Kayser Kamal is currently serving as the acting Speaker as the Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad assumed the role of acting President following the resignation of President Mohammed Shahabuddin last Friday. Article 54 of the Constitution provides that the Speaker shall discharge the functions of the President until a new President is elected. While the Speaker is acting as President, Article 74(3) provides that the Speaker’s functions shall be performed by the Deputy Speaker.
The Election Commission held the meeting on Sunday to review the legal provisions relating to the presidential election and decided that the CEC would meet the Acting Speaker to discuss the next steps before the election schedule is announced. According to the Presidential Election Act, 1991, the Election Commission must consult the Speaker before issuing the election schedule.
If Parliament is in session, the Commission is required to issue the election notification at least seven days before the polling date. If Parliament is not in session, the Commission, in consultation with the Speaker, must convene a meeting of Members of Parliament at least seven days before the election. As part of the process, the Jatiya Sangsad Secretariat will send the list of MPs to the EC, which will prepare and publish the electoral roll for the presidential election before announcing the schedule.
The Article 123(2) of Constitution stipulates that an election to fill a vacancy caused by the death, resignation or removal of the President must be completed within 90 days of the vacancy. Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin will act as the Returning Officer for the presidential election which will be held with direct votes of Members of Parliament. Under the Presidential Election Act, a candidate’s nomination paper must be proposed by one MP and seconded by another.
The candidate securing the highest number of votes will be declared elected by the CEC. In the event of a tie, the result will be determined by a lottery, and the CEC’s declaration of the result will be final.