A provision for an election time government will be made and the Election Commission will be given full independence.

The parliament will have an upper chamber, Mahmudur Rahman Manna, convener of Nagorik Oikya and a leader of the Oikyafront, said this while reading out the manifesto at a press briefing at a hotel in Dhaka.

Article 70 of the constitution that imposes stringent restrictions on lawmakers in taking stance against party policies will be amended through discussion with all, he said.Provision

A balance will be brought between the powers of the president and the prime minister, Manna said adding that a person cannot hold the post of prime minister for consecutive two terms.

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Deputy speaker will be chosen from the opposition lawmakers, he further said.Provision

Heads of parliamentary standing committees will be distributed among the lawmakers of all parties.Provision

Manna further said specific laws will be made for appointment to all constitutional posts.Provision

An independent commission will be formed for appointment of an Ombudsman and judges to the supreme court, he said.

Reserved seats for women will be reduced from 15 percent to 10 percent but all parties will be obliged to nominate at least 20 percent women candidates for running the parliamentary polls, Manna said.

An all-party national commission will be formed to examine the rationality of provincial government system, he added.

WHAT IS JATIYA OIKYAFRONT?

The Jatiya Oikyafront is an alliance of the BNP, Dr Kamal Hossain-led Jatiya Oikya Prokriya, ASM Abdur Rob’s Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, and Mahmudur Rahman Manna’s Nagorik Oikya.

The Oikyafront was formed on October 13 with the demands of a national election under a neutral government after dissolution of parliament and release of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia from jail.

WHAT ARE OIKYAFRONT’S AGENDAS?

Formed with major political oppositions to ruling alliance, the Oikyafront includes ruling Awami League’s arch opposition BNP.

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