Political parties agree to change presidential election system but remain split on method

Political parties have agreed on the need to change the existing system of electing the president but failed to reach a consensus on what model should replace it.

In a dialogue of the National Consensus Commission on Thursday, representatives from 30 political parties debated possible reforms to the presidential election process but ended the day without settling on a specific electoral method.

Ali Riaz, vice-chair of the commission, said all parties supported amending Article 48(1) of the Constitution, which governs presidential elections, but further discussion was needed to finalise a reformed process.

“The consensus today is clear -- there needs to be a change to the way the president is elected,” Riaz told reporters. “We will discuss the amended and reformed provisions in detail in upcoming sessions.”

The commission also discussed proposals for a bicameral parliament, with a 400-seat lower house and a 105-seat upper house, bringing the total number of seats to 505.

Of the 400 lower house seats, 100 would be reserved for women through direct elections. The upper house would be elected via proportional representation.

“Most parties agreed in principle to the idea of a bicameral legislature,” Riaz said. “But that doesn’t mean a final decision has been made. Further consensus is needed on related aspects before anything is confirmed.”

The current system, in place since 1991, allows parliament to elect the president through a vote of lawmakers. Since the first such election required a vote, all subsequent presidents have been elected unopposed, typically nominated by the ruling party.

BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed said most parties favoured a system where the president would be elected through a secret ballot by members of both the upper and lower houses.

“We have yet to reach a decision, but if all agree on a secret vote, BNP will support that,” he said.

The Jamaat-e-Islami’s Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher also supported a dual-chamber electoral college but suggested limiting the voter base to district and municipal councillors rather than including all local union representatives, as proposed by the commission.

“A smaller, expanded electoral college would still be more representative, and the inclusion of both chambers is essential,” he said, adding that a secret ballot would allow candidates outside the ruling majority a narrow but real opportunity to win the presidency.

The Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) emphasised nominating candidates with integrity, secular values, and a record of supporting Bangladesh’s independence and sovereignty.

Party leader Ruhin Hossain Prince called for amending Article 70 to allow MPs greater voting freedom and urged the adoption of secret ballots.

The National Citizen Party (NCP) leader Hasnat Abdullah also endorsed secret ballots, saying it would democratise the presidential election process.

The next round of discussions is expected to focus on unresolved issues, including the composition and powers of the proposed upper house and the final design of the presidential electoral mechanism.