Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon against polls with MPs in office,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon on Saturday once again firmly demanded scrapping the constitutional provision that allows MPs to remain in office during parliamentary polls to ensure a level-playing field.

"If the provision is not scrapped, the parliamentary polls will not be neutral," said the chief of the Workers Party, a component of the Awami League-led ruling alliance, while addressing a press conference at his party office in the capital.

The latest amendment to the constitution last year introduced the new provision No. 123 (3) that says the parliamentary polls will be held within 90 days preceding dissolution of the House.

This means members of the present parliament will remain in office when the next parliamentary election will be held with the AL-led alliance still in power.

"Some parsons will compete as 'sitting MP', while others as 'intending MP' in the next parliamentary polls," he mentioned.

"How they will get equal opportunity and where will be the level-playing field," said Menon, also the chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on the education ministry.

Terming the provision discriminatory, he said the 'sitting MPs' will surely get importance to the people and the administration.

Asked why he did not give note of descent as a member of the parliamentary special committee on constitutional amendment, Menon said, "It is not possible to tell inside stories in detail. I did not want to embarrass the committee."

Replying to a question whether opinions of all alliance partners were taken into consideration or not in the latest constitutional amendment, Menon said, "I do not want to say much. Then many words will come out."

Replying to a question about possibility of creating political distance with the AL over this issue, the workers party chief said, "It is not the fact that distance will be created if I tell the truth. Politics will go forward through discussions."

He also stressed the need for holding dialogue within the shortest possible time to settle the structure of an interim government for holding the next parliamentary polls when the Election Commission will act as the supreme authority.

He opined for restricting the jurisdiction of interim government. For example, the interim government will not have the authority to take any policy decision.

About the unity of grand alliance, he said the continuation of the unity was not followed in running the state and government affairs.

Earlier on June 25, Menon and another alliance partner Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) President Hasanul Haq Inu placed the same proposal in the parliament.