August
11, 2000
Daily
Star
Bangladesh--Participants
at a dialogue on women in parliament yesterday demanded
discontinuation of indirect elections of women legislators to
the Jatiya Sangaad and equitable distribution of male and
female representation in the parliament.
The
country's leading women's rights activists as well as women
representatives from 64 districts urged political leaders to
increase number of seats reserved
for women in the parliament and make provision for
direct elections to these.
Fair
election Monitoring Alliancfe ( FEMA). The Daily Star and the
Centre for alternatives jointly organised
the day long dealogue at the
LGED Bhavan.
Politlcians
from three major parties - Awami League, BNP and Jatiya
party-promised to convey the views expressed at the
dialogue to their respective party chiefs and initiate
discussion on the issues raised at party forum.
AL
presidium member and
Industries Minister Tofail Ahmed said that the government had
alredy placed a bill before the Jatiya Sangsad for
continuation of the current system.
The
existing system. Which has provision for indirect elections to
30 reserved seats for women
in the parliament would expire on April 4, 2001. But, the fate
of the bill hangs in balance because of the
absence of main opposition
parties from the Jatiya Sangsad. A two- thirds majority
is required for
the passage of the bill since it calls for amendment to the
Constitution.
The
minister, therefore, urged the opposition to come back
to the parliament and with the treasury bench members, evolve
a better bill accommodating aspirations of the participants at
the dialogue.
AL
lawmaker Ms aKber, BNP legislators Shamsul Islam , MK Anwar, Khurshid
Jahan Haq and advocate Khalequzzaman, Jatiya party MPs Dr TIM Fazle Rabbi. Barrister Rabeya Bhuiyan.
And GM Kakder were also present at the dialogue to
exchange vievs with women representatives.
Prof
Imtiaz Ahmed, Executive Director of the
Center for Alternatives, Presented the Deynote paper at
the dialogue. Moderated by Mahfuz Anam, editor of the Daily
Star. And Feroz M Hasan, the FEMA secretary general. Munira
Khan of FEMA delivered the
address of welcome.
Most
of the politicians pre sent
agreed in principle with the ideas floated by the
participants but
acknowledged that none of the parties held a clear position on
the critical
issue of women's representation
in the parliament.
MK
Anwar said BNP didn't have a definitive stand on the issue but welcomed the move taken by the participants.
Shamsul
Islam MP said that they
would discuss the issue
at party torum. Another BNP lawmaker Khurshid Jahan Haq, on
the other hand , was a bit critical of the high aspirations of
women activists.
Before
we raise the demand for something
ambitious, we ( women ) have to pull
up our fellow downtrodden women to our position,"
said".
TIM
Fazle Rabbi of JP said that he would not subscribe to the idea
of keeping seats
reserved for women and at the
same time holding
direct elections.
Rabeya
Bhuiyan expressed
shock at non-consideration of her bill regarding provision for 100 seats for women.
"Jatiya
Sangsad took up my bill for
discussion on a day when all opposition parts were enforcing a hartal in the country," she said.
GM
kader said that he was all for direct elections but did not
support provision for reserve seats.
"Rather,
I would suggest political parties to give 10 to 30 per cent
nominations to women candidates, " she said.
As
many raised voices in favor of keeping 30 percent nominations
for women candidates, Tofail Ahmed explained some practical aspects of women's
not getting enough party nomination. He said
that parties tried their best to gain as many
parliamentary seats as they could
earn them more
sets in the parliamentary elections.
Earlier
, the participants put forward a flexible, proposal on
increasing women's seats
in the parliament. Politicians
could decide to reserve a minimum of
64 and a maximum of
150 seats for women.
Representatives
who took part in the dialogue included Maleka Begum, Hamida
Hossin, Barrister sigma Huda..
Razia Faiz, Farah Kabir, Hajera Sultana, Rokeya Kabir, Monwara
Begum, Advocate Nasima AKhter, Shamsunnesa, Jinat Fedous Ara,
Laksme chatterjee, Rokeya Khatun,
Mantaz Rumi, and prof shirin Nahar.
Muscle
power in politics, sacrifice of
veteran party leaders to make room for nuveau rich as
regards nominations and
male chauvinist attitudes of the pries were the other keys
issues discussed.
