BNP collects nomination papers, yet to reveal presidential pick
The BNP has begun the formal process for the August 20 presidential election by collecting two nomination papers, but the party has yet to decide who will contest the race. Its decision now comes into focus after the Jamaat led 11 party alliance chose LDP Chairman Oli Ahmad as its candidate, raising the prospect of the first contested presidential election since 1991.
In a Nutshell:
- BNP Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni and Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi collected two nomination papers from the Election Commission on Sunday, formally starting the party's presidential election process.
- The move comes while the Jamaat led 11 party alliance has already nominated LDP Chairman Oli Ahmad, a former BNP lawmaker who left the party and founded the LDP in 2006.
- BNP has yet to name its candidate, with party chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman tasked with making the choice and several senior leaders under discussion.
- The election schedule sets August 13 as the deadline for nominations, August 16 for scrutiny and August 18 for withdrawals, leaving little time for BNP to settle on its nominee.
- Voting is set for August 20 from 2pm to 5pm in Parliament, where the 349 member electoral roll will decide the president.
- If BNP and Oli both remain in the race, it will be the first contested presidential election since 1991, when BNP candidate Abdur Rahman Biswas defeated Awami League candidate Badrul Haider Chowdhury.
Why it matters
This could be the first contested presidential election since 1991, so how BNP chooses its candidate and handles the race will be closely watched for what it says about its relationship with Jamaat. The timing matters because BNP pushed through constitutional changes in Parliament days ago while Jamaat's 11 party alliance was absent, even though the July Charter says constitutional changes should be decided with the participation of all members of Parliament. The choice of BNP's nominee will therefore come as the two sides are already divided over how the unimplemented Charter should be carried out.
What we think
The presidential race could bring several of the BNP-Jamaat disagreements to the fore in this contest. BNP's recent constitutional changes removed Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's mention from the Constitution and replaced it with references to Ziaur Rahman, including crediting him with the first call for revolution, while Jamaat has backed Oli Ahmad's claim to that role. With Jamaat already outside BNP's constitutional reform process over the July Charter, BNP's choice of candidate and the way it conducts the race could give us a clearer picture of whether the two parties can still maintain a workable political relationship despite these growing differences.