Dhaka, 29 Jan – The ruling Awami League (AL) policy makers will sit on Wednesday to finalize its candidate for contesting the upcoming presidential election slated for February 18.The AL president and the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called a meeting of Awami League Parliamentary Board (ALPB) for Wednesday to be held around 8:00pm at her official residence Gana Bhaban at 8pm, says a press release yesterday. Hasina will chair the board meeting.
Earlier, the Election Commission announced the presidential election scheduled to be held on February 18.
The incumbent President Abdul Hamid took office on April 24, 2013, and his five-year term expires on April 23. According to article 123 of the constitution, presidential election should be held between 90 and 60 days before the five-year term of the president expires.
The next president will be elected for a five-year term, and the tenure of the president will be until the last year of the next government.
The incumbent President Abdul Hamid is likely to be the ruling party candidate again to contest the upcoming presidential elections, say party insiders.
As per the country’s Constitution the current President Abdul Hamid is allowed to serve another term in his office.
However, it will just be a formality as AL has an overwhelming majority in Parliament which elects the President as MPs cannot vote against a Party nominee as per Atricle 70 of the Constitution, while the Jatiya Party which is both in the government and the opposition in Parliament does not have enough strength to fight an election battle.
The country’s President is elected by the parliament for a five-year term from among nominated candidates placed by political parties.
With about three months to go to the end of Hamid’s term, the ruling Awami League is abuzz with speculations about the next possible President of Bangladesh.
Several names were heard in the political arena especially in the recent conversations among AL leaders.
Among the names were incumbent President Abdul Hamid, AL’s former general secretary and Public Administration Minister Syed Ashraful Islam, incumbent Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, LGRD Minister Khandker Mosharraf Hossain and Prime Minister’s International Affairs Adviser Gowher Rizvi. – Staff Reporter
