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Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has announced that the much-discussed Article 70 of the Constitution will be amended in the future, and the subsequent presidential election will be held in accordance with these revised provisions.
He shared this information with journalists during a discussion on Thursday (August 20).
The Home Minister stated that for the first time in nearly 35 years, a constitutionally competitive presidential election is being held in the country, with a candidate from the opposition party also contesting. He emphasized that such competitive elections are crucial for a democratic system.
He added that this trend should continue in the future, as competitive elections will allow the nation’s populace to witness the true reflection of desired democratic practices.
Regarding the constitutional amendment, Salahuddin Ahmed mentioned that the opposition party has not yet joined the committee formed for this purpose. However, the government has initiated the process to amend Article 70 of the Constitution, which will be implemented in the future.
He explicitly stated that the next presidential election would be conducted under the provisions of the amended Article 70.
According to the current Article 70 of the Constitution, if a Member of Parliament (MP) votes against their party’s decision, their parliamentary seat becomes vacant. This provision, which limits the ability of MPs to vote independently outside of party lines, has been a subject of long-standing political and constitutional debate.
Article 70 has recently come under renewed discussion in light of the latest presidential election. With the government’s announcement of changes to this article, new discussions have begun regarding its future impact on parliamentary politics, including presidential elections.