President Hamid, Speaker Shirin!
Presidential polls on April 29
Ali Asif Shaon, Prime News ||
2013-04-19 Time : 22:10:36
Dhaka: Acting President and Speaker Advocate Abdul Hamid is all set to become the 20th President of the country as the ruling Awami League high-ups have taken a decision to elect him the President. Some policy-decision makers and high-ups of the ruling AL confirmed this on condition of anonymity while talking to this correspondent on Friday. If Abdul Hamid has been elected president, then the Speaker’s post will fall vacant and the senior AL leaders and high-ups are busy in guessing game who would be the next Speaker of the ninth Jatiya Sangsad. Reliable and highly placed sources seeking anonymity said top brass of the AL wants to see a woman to the post of Speaker or Deputy Speaker. So if a woman has been selected as Speaker then Deputy Speaker Shwakot Ali will remain in his post. But he could be elevated to the post of Speaker and a woman could be elected Deputy Speaker in his place. In the race for Speaker or Deputy Speaker post, Minister for Woman and Child Affairs Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury is leading far ahead of others, according to ruling party sources. Moreover, in Abdul Hamid’s vacant Jatiya Sangsad seat (Kishoreganj-4), hot discussions are revolving round in the ruling party circles who would be picked for the JS membership in that seat. As per rules, the Awami League Parliamentary Party would decide who would be selected as the Presidential candidate for the party. A meeting of ALPP has already been summoned on April 21 for fixing the presidential candidate. From that meeting some senior AL leaders and lawmakers would go straight to the Election Commission for submitting the nomination papers for the party’s Presidential pick. As per constitutional provision, the President is elected through a voting by the Jatiya Sangsad lawmakers and the election is conducted by the Election Commission. The Election Commission has already announced the presidential election schedule on April 9. As per that schedule, voting will be held on April 29. Last date for submission of the nomination paper has been fixed for April 21. From 10:00am to 4:00pm the nomination papers could be submitted on that day. Scrutiny of the nomination would be held on April 22 while nomination could be withdrawn by April 24. The election will be held on April 29 from 3:00pm to 6:00pm at the Jatiya Sangsad floor. But in case of a single candidate as the main opposition has been boycotting the JS for long, the President could be declared elected on the last date of withdrawal of candidature on April 24, EC sources said. Sources in the ruling party said, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina held a meeting with Acting President and Speaker Abdul Hamid at his residence following the party’s final decision to elect him President on April 10. On the same day AL general secretary and Minister for LGRD and Cooperatives Syed Ashraful Islam also held a meeting with Hamid signaling the fixation of his candidature as President. Earlier the party high-ups decided almost unanimously that no non-political person would be elected as the President and going by that decision the AL high-ups proposed Hamid’s name considering his allegiance and loyalty to the party. The President’s post fell vacant following death of President Zillur Rahman on March 20. As per constitutional rules, the President will have to be elected by June 19. The acting President has already summoned the 17th session of the Jatiya Sangsad on April 21 for electing the 20th President of the republic. Ends/AAS/AMA/19/04/13
