By Sumi Khan

Dhaka, Jan 4 (IANS): The Ganatantri Party in Bangladesh has urged President Abdul Hamid that anti-Liberation War individuals and political parties should be disqualified from taking part in the upcoming elections as members of the election commission.

A seven-member delegation, led by party President Mohammad Arash Ali, took part in the dialogue at the Bangabhaban, Ganatantri Party leader Mahmudur Rahman Babu told IANS on Monday evening.

The party also urged the President to take necessary steps to frame a law to constitute the next election commission in line with the constitution.

During the dialogue with the President over the formation of the next election commission, the party proposed that there should be a council comprising the Prime Minister, Speaker, Chief Justice, Opposition leader, and Attorney General, which will recommend names of the next chief election commissioner (CEC) and other election commissioners to the President.

"If it is not possible to enact the law due to time constraints, the next EC can be formed through a search committee consisting of persons working with constitutional bodies," Rahman Babu said.

The party in its written proposal to the President said the search committee will recommend five names for CEC and ECs.

"The proposed names will be sent for scrutiny to the business advisory committee of the Parliament. The committee will prepare a shortlist from which the President will form the EC," the proposal said.

The party also proposed that there should be a process to make the election commission accountable for its failure.