Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) yesterday submitted a 17-point proposal to President Abdul Hamid on formation of the Election Commission. It also urged the president to enact a law in this regard.

However, Krishak Sramik Janata League during its meeting with the president at the Bangabhaban opposed any such move by the current parliament, saying it was formed through the January 5, 2014 polls without voters.

LDP President Col (retd) Oli Ahmed led a 10-member party delegation to the dialogue that began at 3:00pm.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, he said the president assured them of doing his best to prepare a draft on setting up of a strong EC acceptable to all.

The LDP proposed that armed forces members, like the policemen, should be empowered to arrest criminals on the polling day.

Oli said he called upon the president to dispel mistrust among the political parties.

“The honourable president wanted to know how the mistrust was built. We told him that the national election in 2014 without voters led to mistrust among the political parties. A commission without backbone, Kazi Rakibuddin [chief election commissioner]-led EC allowed voting even at night. The president in reply said he was not aware of that,” the LDP chief added.

Highly praising the president, Oli said he is acceptable to all people and is in the best position to address reconstitution of the EC.

The LDP chairman said, “He is our old friend. There is no controversy about him. So we urged him to overcome the present situation.”

“Besides, he had been in politics and the Speaker for many years. Now he is the country's president. Nobody is in a better position than he is to carry out the work,” he told journalists.

The LDP, a component of the BNP-led 20-party alliance, submitted a list of names of probable search committee members to the president. Oli, however, refused to disclose the names.

The party's many other proposals were similar to those of the BNP's.

The president later held another meeting with a 12-member delegation of Janata League.

Emerging from the meeting, party President Abdul Kader Siddique said they opposed the idea of enacting a law on formation of the EC.

The party urged the president to exercise his power to form the EC.

“The president has the power to decide how he would constitute the Election Commission. We will support whatever decision he makes,” Kader said.

Janata League submitted an eight-point proposal for reconstitution of the EC.

The tenure of the current EC will expire in February next year.

The president on Sunday began talks with registered political parties. The BNP was the first party to meet the president.

Hamid on Tuesday held a dialogue with Jatiya Party.