Staff Reporter:
The government has taken an initiative to amend the much-debated Article 70 of the Constitution, and future presidential elections will be held in accordance with the amended provision, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said.
He made the remarks while speaking to journalists about the presidential election on Thursday.
The Home Minister said that after nearly 35 years, the country is holding a constitutionally competitive presidential election, with a candidate from an opposition party also contesting the race.
He said such competition is crucial to a democratic system and expressed hope that the practice would continue in the future. Such elections, he said, would allow the people to see a genuine reflection of the democratic practices they expect.
Regarding the constitutional amendment, the minister said the opposition had not yet joined the committee formed for the purpose.
However, he said the government had kept the process of amending Article 70 underway and that the change would be implemented in the future. He made it clear that the next presidential election would be held under the amended Article 70.
Under the existing Article 70 of the Constitution, a lawmaker loses their parliamentary seat if they vote against a decision of their political party. The provision has long been the subject of political and constitutional debate and has come under renewed discussion in recent times in the context of the presidential election.
Political analysts say a possible amendment to Article 70 could give lawmakers greater freedom to exercise their voting rights, adding a new dimension to important constitutional processes, including the presidential election.
