DHAKA, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- Bangladeshi President Md. Abdul Hamid will hold talks with opposition parties including ex-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on the formation of a new election commission (EC).
Md Joynal Abedin, press secretary to the president, told Xinhua Monday that the president will hold talks with all registered parties before appointing the chief election commissioner and other election commissioners in line with Section-118 of the Bangladesh Constitution.
"Five opposition parties including BNP have been invited this time," he said.
"Other registered political parties will be invited gradually to meet president and discuss election commission formation issue."
According to the official, the marathon talks will begin with Khaleda Zia's largest opposition party BNP on Dec. 18.
Hamid apparently moved for holding talks with opposition parties about a month after Khaleda Zia, also chairperson of BNP, urged him to sit with all parties.
Though initially Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ruling Bangladesh Awami League party rejected Khaledas proposals, the party later said it is ready to accept the decision taken by President Hamid over formation of the EC.
Speaking at a press briefing on Nov. 18, Khaleda Zia stressed the need for a high-powered and neutral commission to conduct the 11th national elections slated for early 2019 free and fair.
She suggested the president to form a committee choosing the probable election commissioners after holding discussions with all the political parties concerned.
BNP came with its proposals as the term of the current EC is to expire in February next year.
In her proposals, BNP chief said the committee should be formed based on the opinions of all the registered political parties to choose the Election Commissioners.
"All the registered political parties or those elected to parliament ever since Bangladesh's independence in 1971 must approve of the next commission."
BNP, which alternated power with its arch rival Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ruling Bangladesh Awami League party in 1991, boycotted the election in Jan. 5, 2014 as its demand for polls under a non-party caretaker administration remained unfulfilled.
BNP has still been demanding national polls under a non-party caretaker government.
