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WASHINGTON (AP) — After several weeks working mostly behind closed doors, Vice President-elect JD Vance returned to Capitol Hill this week in a new, more visible role: Helping Donald Trump try to get his most contentious Cabinet picks to confirmation in the Senate, where Vance has served for the last two years. Vance arrived at the Capitol on Wednesday with former Rep. Matt Gaetz and spent the morning sitting in on meetings between Trump’s choice for attorney general and key Republicans, including members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The effort was for naught: Gaetz announced a day later that he was withdrawing his name amid scrutiny over sex trafficking allegations and the reality that he was unlikely to be confirmed. Thursday morning Vance was back, this time accompanying Pete Hegseth, the “Fox & Friends Weekend” host whom Trump has tapped to be the next secretary of defense. Hegseth also has faced allegations of sexual assault that he denies. Vance is expected to accompany other nominees for meetings in coming weeks as he tries to leverage the two years he has spent in the Senate to help push through Trump’s picks. Vance is taking on an atypical role as Senate guide for Trump nominees The role of introducing nominees around Capitol Hill is an unusual one for a vice president-elect. Usually the job goes to a former senator who has close relationships on the Hill, or a more junior aide. But this time the role fits Vance, said Marc Short, who served as Trump’s first director of legislative affairs as well as chief of staff to Trump’s first vice president, Mike Pence, who spent more than a decade in Congress and led the former president’s transition ahead of his first term. ”JD probably has a lot of current allies in the Senate and so it makes sense to have him utilized in that capacity,” Short said. Unlike the first Trump transition, which played out before cameras at Trump Tower in New York and at the president-elect’s golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, this one has largely happened behind closed doors in Palm Beach, Florida. There, a small group of officials and aides meet daily at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort to run through possible contenders and interview job candidates. The group includes Elon Musk, the billionaire who has spent so much time at the club that Trump has joked he can’t get rid of him. Vance has been a constant presence, even as he’s kept a lower profile. The Ohio senator has spent much of the last two weeks in Palm Beach, according to people familiar with his plans, playing an active role in the transition, on which he serves as honorary chair. Mar-a-Lago scene is a far cry from Vance’s hardscrabble upbringing Vance has been staying at a cottage on the property of the gilded club, where rooms are adorned with cherubs, oriental rugs and intricate golden inlays. It’s a world away from the famously hardscrabble upbringing that Vance documented in the memoir that made him famous, “Hillbilly Elegy.” His young children have also joined him at Mar-a-Lago, at times. Vance was photographed in shorts and a polo shirt playing with his kids on the seawall of the property with a large palm frond, a U.S. Secret Service robotic security dog in the distance. On the rare days when he is not in Palm Beach, Vance has been joining the sessions remotely via Zoom. Though he has taken a break from TV interviews after months of constant appearances, Vance has been active in the meetings, which began immediately after the election and include interviews and as well as presentations on candidates’ pluses and minuses. Among those interviewed: Contenders to replace FBI Director Christopher Wray , as Vance wrote in a since-deleted social media post. Defending himself from criticism that he’d missed a Senate vote in which one of President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees was confirmed, Vance wrote that he was meeting at the time “with President Trump to interview multiple positions for our government, including for FBI Director.” “I tend to think it’s more important to get an FBI director who will dismantle the deep state than it is for Republicans to lose a vote 49-46 rather than 49-45,” Vance added on X. “But that’s just me.” Vance is making his voice heard as Trump stocks his Cabinet While Vance did not come in to the transition with a list of people he wanted to see in specific roles, he and his friend, Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., who is also a member of the transition team, were eager to see former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. find roles in the administration. Trump ended up selecting Gabbard as the next director of national intelligence , a powerful position that sits atop the nation’s spy agencies and acts as the president’s top intelligence adviser. And he chose Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services , a massive agency that oversees everything from drug and food safety to Medicare and Medicaid. Vance was also a big booster of Tom Homan, the former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, who will serve as Trump’s “border czar.” In another sign of Vance’s influence, James Braid, a top aide to the senator, is expected to serve as Trump’s legislative affairs director. Allies say it’s too early to discuss what portfolio Vance might take on in the White House. While he gravitates to issues like trade, immigration and tech policy, Vance sees his role as doing whatever Trump needs. Vance was spotted days after the election giving his son’s Boy Scout troop a tour of the Capitol and was there the day of leadership elections. He returned in earnest this week, first with Gaetz — arguably Trump’s most divisive pick — and then Hegseth, who has was been accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 2017, according to an investigative report made public this week. Hegseth told police at the time that the encounter had been consensual and denied any wrongdoing. Vance hosted Hegseth in his Senate office as GOP senators, including those who sit on the Senate Armed Services Committee, filtered in to meet with the nominee for defense secretary. While a president’s nominees usually visit individual senators’ offices, meeting them on their own turf, the freshman senator — who is accompanied everywhere by a large Secret Service detail that makes moving around more unwieldy — instead brought Gaetz to a room in the Capitol on Wednesday and Hegseth to his office on Thursday. Senators came to them. Vance made it to votes Wednesday and Thursday, but missed others on Thursday afternoon. Vance will draw on his Senate background going forward Vance is expected to continue to leverage his relationships in the Senate after Trump takes office. But many Republicans there have longer relationships with Trump himself. Sen. Kevin Cramer, a North Dakota Republican, said that Trump was often the first person to call him back when he was trying to reach high-level White House officials during Trump’s first term. “He has the most active Rolodex of just about anybody I’ve ever known,” Cramer said, adding that Vance would make a good addition. “They’ll divide names up by who has the most persuasion here,” Cramer said, but added, “Whoever his liaison is will not work as hard at it as he will.” Cramer was complimentary of the Ohio senator, saying he was “pleasant” and ” interesting” to be around. ′′He doesn’t have the long relationships,” he said. “But we all like people that have done what we’ve done. I mean, that’s sort of a natural kinship, just probably not as personally tied.” Under the Constitution, Vance will also have a role presiding over the Senate and breaking tie votes. But he’s not likely to be needed for that as often as was Kamala Harris, who broke a record number of ties for Democrats as vice president, since Republicans will have a bigger cushion in the chamber next year. ___ Colvin reported from New York. Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.
Longwood secures 89-81 win over UABLOS ANGELES — Mina Kimes has a lot going on this week. Like so many other people this time of the year, the analyst for ESPN's "NFL Live" has been busy wrapping presents and preparing for the arrival of out-of-town guests for the holidays. In addition to those typical holiday activities, however, Kimes also has to break down film and attend a Christmas Eve rehearsal ahead of her one-off gig as a studio analyst for the Kansas City Chiefs-Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens-Houston Texans games streaming live Christmas Day on Netflix . "Yeah it's been pretty crazy," Kimes said Monday during a phone interview. "I'm just excited. I usually just do a studio show during the week that I absolutely love, but there's a level of energy that comes with doing television right before kickoff and also during the game and after. ... Like, in real time, let's see how Joey Porter Jr. or George Pickens or any of the injured players look, and their availability and that kind of thing. "And that adds a different element to it that I'm really personally super excited about. But I just love talking ball on television and just to have the opportunity to do this in front of this many people is quite a Christmas gift." The last sporting event streamed live on Netflix was a massive success — an estimated 108 million live viewers in around 65 million households worldwide tuned in Nov. 15 to watch the Mike Tyson-Jake Paul fight — but also a huge headache for many consumers, who complained on social media about buffering issues and losing the feed altogether. Netflix told The Times on Monday that it learned from the struggles it faced during the Tyson-Paul live stream and has optimized its systems to better handle live events since then. Kimes is hopeful that all such issues have been resolved ahead of the two NFL games, both of which will be key to AFC playoff seedings and one of which (Ravens-Texans) will feature a halftime show by Beyoncé . "The technological aspect of this is above my pay grade, but everybody seems pretty confident about it," she said. "Obviously it's gonna be a bajillion eyeballs on these games, so my hope is that on our end when we're on everything's seamless, not just from a tech and streaming standpoint but from a production standpoint. And so far it seems like it will be, just a lot of experienced folks working on this." Netflix's first foray into NFL games will feature a slew of talent from various other platforms. Kimes will be on the Los Angeles studio show, along with anchor Kay Adams (FanDuel TV) and fellow analysts Manti Te'o (NFL Network), Robert Griffin III (formerly of ESPN) and Drew Brees (formerly of NBC Sports). A studio show from Pittsburgh will feature Laura Rutledge (ESPN) as anchor and Devin McCourty (NBC Sports) and Jason McCourty (CBS Sports and ESPN) as analysts. "It's kind of like a Pro Bowl of sorts," Kimes said. "That sounds self aggrandizing, but I guess I mean so far as I get to work with a lot of people who I don't usually get to work with, which is kind of cool. It's a lot of folks from a lot of different networks and that is also something that is kind of like unique about this." Here's more from Kimes' conversation with The Times. (The questions and answers have been edited for length and clarity) Q: How did this all come about for you? A: I can't remember when I first heard about the possibility – a few months ago or something? But whenever my agent told me about it I was really excited for a litany of reasons, one of which was just the opportunity to work on such massively significant games and obviously ones that are gonna have a lot of eyeballs. Really good games, too, by the way — which, I mean, good for Netflix but also great for me because it's a lot more fun to talk about games like the ones we're gonna be discussing on Christmas. Q: Was there any hesitation to do this during the holidays? I know you have a little one at home ... A: Well, here's the good news — he's 14 months old, so I can just tell him Christmas is the next day and he won't know the difference. I have family coming in actually today and even if I wasn't on the show they would be watching it. They're huge football fans. They would have Netflix on all day anyways, so I think they're almost as excited by the idea of just sitting all day and watching me, probably more so than if I was spending time with them because they see a lot of me in person. Q: So your studio show is going to be on all day, before, during and after both games? A: Yeah, that's why everybody's watching halftime, right? To watch our show. Like, 'Come on, enough Beyonce. One song, let's get back. I really gotta hear this analysis.' Q: This has been a busy month for you, after serving as a color commentator for " The Simpsons Funday Football " alternative broadcast of the Cincinnati Bengals-Dallas Cowboys game Dec. 9. How was that experience? A: It was awesome. It was an absolute dream. I'm a crazy "Simpsons" fan and I think we realized early on — me, Drew [Carter] and Dan [Orlovsky] — just to lean all the way into all the "Simpsons" jokes and references. It seems like fans of the show really enjoyed that. Q: You have made numerous appearances on ESPN's " Around the Horn ." What was your reaction to learning that the show will be coming to an end next year? A: That show has meant so much to my career. That's how I really got my start in television at ESPN. I don't think I'd be doing what I'm doing now if not for 'Around the Horn.' ... So it really kind of made me reflect on I guess the role that the show has played [in] my career. I'm gonna miss doing it a lot because I'm an NFL analyst now, but for me it was one of those platforms [where] you could talk about other sports and topics and I always really, really enjoyed it. It's a special show. Q: What are your predictions for the Christmas games? A: It's boring — I got both of the favorites winning, the Ravens and Chiefs. The Steelers' defensive injuries are very concerning. Q: What about a Beyonce prediction? Any special guests you think might join her? A: I think you might see a special guest from Houston. Don't know who that's gonna be, but I predict that whatever it is, people will wish it was twice as long instead of having to listen to me talk. ©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Thousands of dolphins put on an incredible show off the coast of Dana Point in Southern California and video footage of the scene has people in awe. Entranced visitors and marine enthusiasts saw a pod of about 5,000 dolphins swimming together, USA Today reported on Thursday, noting the phenomenon is called a “dolphin stampede.” The clip shows the dolphins gracefully leaping out of the choppy water along the coastline and diving back in: Social media users were quick to share their thoughts on the amazing video, one person writing , “Every time I’m on a boat off Dana Point we see big schools, lots of dolphins of various species. It’s pretty cool!” “Went through one of these on Catalina ferry. Wonderful!” another user said . Capt. Dave’s Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari said Dana Point has been known as the dolphin and whale watching capital of the world since 2019. “When they explained the criteria, I said we’re the perfect location,” the company’s Gisele Anderson said. “We have history, education, saving of animals. We’re really excited because now Dana Point has set the bar.” In 2021, a similar instance happened at Newport Beach when people on a whale watching boat got to see a “dolphin stampede,” ABC 7 reported at the time. Video footage shows the pod, which consisted of about 400 dolphins, swimming alongside the boat as those on board watched with fascination: According to the Visit Laguna Beach website , dolphins are friendly, social creatures that travel in pods and frequently get close to boats. “Perhaps one of the most breathtaking scenes to experience on the water is a dolphin stampede,” the website says. “This occurs when hundreds, even thousands of dolphins suddenly begin leaping in and out of the water at an astonishing speed in one direction, as if they are sprinting towards or away from something.” The site says that why dolphins stampede is still a mystery, adding, “The leaping behavior is referred to as ‘porpoising’ and it allows the dolphins to travel at their fastest speed, as there is less resistance through air than through water.”
SOLVIT System Wins CES 2025 Innovation Award, Illuminating Paths to Save Lives in Radio Shadow AreasFRISCO, Texas (AP) — The Dallas Cowboys are shutting down CeeDee Lamb with two games remaining after their 2023 All-Pro receiver spent the second half of the season dealing with a sprained right shoulder. The team said Thursday that additional exams revealed enough damage to keep Lamb off the field Sunday at Philadelphia and in the final game at home against Washington. The team said surgery was not expected to be required. Dallas was eliminated from playoff contention a few hours before last weekend's 26-24 victory over Tampa Bay . The decision on Lamb means the Cowboys will finish the regular season with at least five former Pro Bowlers on injured reserve. Among the others are quarterback Dak Prescott, who was limited to eight games before a season-ending hamstring tear, and right guard Zack Martin. The seven-time All-Pro made it through 10 games before deciding on season-ending ankle surgery. Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence didn't playing after Week 4 because of a foot injury, and cornerback Trevon Diggs battled a variety of injuries while playing 11 games before a knee injury ended his season. Lamb initially injured his right shoulder when it hit the turf hard twice in a 27-21 loss at Atlanta on Nov. 3. He kept playing and had at least 100 yards in each of his last two games — both victories — before getting shut down. The 25-year-old Lamb sat out the entire offseason and preseason in a contract dispute after getting career highs in catches (an NFL-best 135), yards receiving (club-record 1,749) and touchdowns (12) in 2023. The holdout finally ended with a $136 million, four-year extension in late August, but neither the Cowboys nor their star receiver could get that production going again this season. Dallas (7-8) is missing the playoffs for the first time since 2020, Lamb's rookie year. Lamb finishes the season with 101 catches for 1,194 yards and six TDs. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL
BEMIDJI — Duncan Wardle, former Head of Innovation and Creativity at Disney, will be the guest at Paul Bunyan Communications' GigaZone Gaming Championship and TechXpo, set for April 12 at the Sanford Center in Bemidji. Wardle helped teams at Disney Parks, Lucasfilm, Marvel, Pixar, Imagineering and Animation to innovate, creating magical new storylines and amazing experiences for consumers around the globe. From sending Buzz Lightyear into space on a space shuttle, creating an Olympic-sized swimming pool for Michael Phelps to swim down Main Street USA at Disneyland, and creating the Super Bowl halftime show for the new Millennium, Wardle has given life to some of the biggest ideas imaginable, a release said. Wardle has been a TEDx speaker multiple times, is a frequent contributor to Fast Company, Harvard Business Review and Forbes, and teaches Innovation and Creativity Masterclasses at Yale and Harvard Universities. He also holds the American Citizen Award presented at the White House, an Honorary Doctorate from Edinburgh University and the Duke of Edinburgh Award, presented by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth. "We are so excited to have Duncan Wardle as our special guest this year," said Chad Bullock, Paul Bunyan Communications incoming CEO and general manager, in the release. "His work at Disney touched so many different facets of technology from films to their theme parks to events." As a special guest at the TechXpo, Wardle will speak at 2 p.m. on the main stage. A Q&A session will follow. He will also be a judge for the Greater Bemidji Northstar Pitch Competition. The mission of the GigaZone TechXpo is to spark excitement and create opportunities with technology by connecting students and job seekers with employers, educators and technology enthusiasts from across northern Minnesota, the release said. There is no cost to be an exhibitor as a school or business but space is limited and the exhibit must display their use of technology. Applications open Jan. 3 and must be submitted by Feb. 28 at The event will also feature free gaming on various console and arcade games, numerous tournaments, door prizes and more. There is no cost to enter the tournaments or for any of the gaming. Tournament details will be posted on the GigaZone Gaming Discord, Twitch channel and Facebook page as well as New to the event this year is the GigaZone Gaming High School Invitational, a Rocket League tournament exclusively for High School esports teams. Schools interested should contact Fenworks at The event showcases Paul Bunyan Communications' IT and web development team, which custom-built and integrated much of the online technology being used, and leverages the speed of the GigaZone, one of the largest rural all-fiber optic gigabit networks in the country, the release said. The entire gaming event is run off a single residential GigaZone Internet connection. This Paul Bunyan Communications event includes many local partners including NLFX, Accidentally Cool Games, Northern Amusement, the Sanford Center, as well as support from several regional and national partners, the release said. For more information on the GigaZone Gaming Championship, visit
With ever-advancing technologies, more and more airlines have announced that they will be introducing free WiFi for their customers in the next year or so, including, most recently, Air Canada , which will introduce free internet for its loyalty program members starting in 2025. WiFi for you, you, and you In addition to Air Canada’s announcement on December 13, when the airline said that starting in May 2025 , it would roll out a free WiFi offer to Aeroplan members starting with its short-haul fleet, several other airlines have promised customers the ability to surf the web free of charge in 2025. For example, on September 26, Air France said that it was revolutionizing its WiFi service, a move to continue its journey upmarket. From 2025, it will progressively roll out the service for Flying Blue customers. It is being enabled by Starlink’s connectivity solutions. Airlines have also expanded their WiFi services in the United States. In September, United Airlines , which currently offers free messaging and access to its website and app for all passengers, will enter the free WiFi space in 2025. Testing of the service will begin in early 2025, with the first passenger flights being deployed later during the year. airBaltic should be another carrier that will link up with Starlink to offer free WiFi across its fleet. When the Latvian airline announced that it tested the company’s internet solution in March, it said that it had been working toward acquiring the supplemental type certificate (STC) approval, resulting in the installation of the first antennas on its Airbus A220-300 aircraft in late 2024. In September, airBaltic provided an update on its progress to certify and begin equipping its fleet with Starlink antennas, saying that free in-flight internet was “coming soon.” United Airlines will offer free Starlink WiFi across its fleet starting in 2025, providing faster, more reliable internet on over 1,000 planes. Expanding connectivity Those are just some of the airlines that have promised to introduce free WiFi sometime in 2025. Others, albeit sometimes on a limited scale, have already provided the service, such as Delta Air Lines’ connectivity solution. On August 12, Delta Air Lines announced that it would begin offering free WiFi on its long-haul fleet. While the service has been available on more than 700 aircraft flying domestic itineraries, the airline has announced free internet connectivity on its long-haul network. However, the carrier emphasized that in order to ensure premium service, it was “rolling out fast, free Wi-Fi on Viasat-equipped widebody aircraft on a route-by-route basis.” Delta Air Line’s current WiFi map showed that apart from coverage across North America, customers can expect WiFi connectivity in Europe and Brazil, with no service when flying across the Pacific Ocean, including Hawaii. “Additional routes will be phased in as high-quality, reliable service becomes available. This strategy mirrors the approach taken with domestic installations in 2022.” Qatar Airways has also been slowly phasing in Starlink-offered internet services following its announcement that it would utilize the Musk-owned service in May . On December 12, the carrier began flying to Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), with the first flight being operated by a Starlink-equipped Boeing 777-300ER , registered as A7-BAF. At the same time, the Qatari carrier celebrated the fact that instead of the 12 planned aircraft with WiFi connectivity, it now had 15, surpassing its roll-out target in 2024. Other airlines that recently began and have continued to implement fleet-wide free WiFi include but are not exclusive to Air New Zealand (first trials in 2024, domestic fleet-wide rollout in 2025) , Hawaii Airlines , and WestJet (since December) . Qatar Airways has added its fourteenth destination in the Americas with a new service from Doha to Toronto Blue pioneers According to Lufthansa , it was the first airline to provide internet access on long-haul aircraft worldwide in 2003. However, the service did not last long, and in 2006, after Boeing had stopped supporting its ‘Connexion by Boeing’ satellites, the German carrier ended the program. In December 2013, JetBlue announced that it would launch its free WiFi solution, marketed as Fly-Fi. At the time, the airline’s statement read that it was the first service to bring real broadband internet in the sky at the same internet speeds its passengers had been used to while browsing the web at home. In December 2023, JetBlue celebrated the tenth anniversary of Fly-Fi, reiterating that it was the first and only major US carrier to offer free WiFi on all flights. The company reflected that providing free, high-speed connectivity for aircraft flying in the air was a unique challenge in 2013. JetBlue celebrates 10 years of complimentary inflight WiFi service. The airline was the first airline to offer inflight WiFi.
The Electoral Reform Commission is likely to recommend an investigation into irregularities during the last three national polls held under ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina. It is also of the opinion that the election commissioners who oversaw those polls breached their oath of office to preserve the constitution, according to commission Chairman Badiul Alam Majumdar. The reform commission may recommend appointing election commissioners through a search committee with representatives from the government, the opposition, and the third-largest party in parliament. Besides the restoration of the caretaker government system, capping the tenures of a prime minister at two terms and a proportional representation system, the reform commission is likely to recommend giving more powers to the Election Commission (EC). While discussing the updates on the reform commission's work with The Daily Star recently, Badiul said the other points under consideration include increasing women's seats in parliament, the reintroduction of "no vote" on ballot papers, and allowing Bangladeshi migrants to cast their votes from abroad. PUNISHMENT 'A MUST' The last general election in January had been at the centre of controversy as it was not competitive and inclusive due to a boycott by the major opposition parties, including the BNP. The AL had to field dummy independent candidates, many of whom were leaders of the party, to make the polls appear participatory. The 2018 election became controversial with opposition parties alleging ballot-box stuffing the night before election day. In January 2019, the Jatiya Oikya Front alleged before the EC that between 30 and 60 percent of the votes were cast the night before. The same month, Transparency International, Bangladesh in a study found that stamping of ballots took place the night before election day in more than one centre in 33 of the 50 surveyed constituencies. The 2014 election was one-sided, in which 153 lawmakers out of 300 were elected unopposed as most of the opposition, including the BNP, boycotted the election. The AL-led alliance won more than two-thirds majorities in all three national elections held under the Hasina government. A section of police officials on Tuesday admitted that they were under pressure from higher authorities while performing duties during the last three national elections. In a meeting with the reform commission, they also alleged that there were "financial transactions" during the polls. The reform commission members believe that the election commissioners, by overseeing the "controversial" elections in 2014, 2018 and 2024, breached their "oath to preserve, protect, and defend the constitution." Its chief Badiul said everyone is aware of how those elections were conducted. "We are considering these issues so that no one can get the scope to evade accountability for their wrongdoing. Those responsible should be brought to justice and punished. These elections need to be investigated. If the question of justice arises, the matter must be investigated first. These are our considerations while preparing the recommendations," he said. He emphasised the EC's role as a constitutional body and said that the election commissioners took an oath to uphold the constitution and ensure the democratic system will be effective through free, fair, and neutral elections. "By failing to do so [hold fair polls], they have violated the constitution on one hand and breached their oath on the other," Badiul added. The reform commission is also thinking about how to hold the election commissioners accountable if they are involved in irregularities. The reform commission is considering proposing legal provisions to take action against the commissioners through investigation in such cases, said a member of the reform commission, who wished not to be named. MEANINGFUL CHANGES Badiul said that they are considering a recommendation to change the law under which the chief election commissioner and other election commissioners are appointed. The government can appoint its desired people as CEC and election commissioners under the law, he said. "There is weakness in the law, which is not befitting this era". To avoid manipulation of the system, the reform commission chief said, representatives from the opposition and the third-largest party in parliament, along with the treasury bench, should be included in the search committee responsible for selecting nominees for the CEC and other election commissioners' posts. The commission is likely to recommend restoring the provision of the Representation of the People Order, 1972 (RPO) that empowered the EC to postpone elections at any stage after announcing the schedule. After an amendment in July 2023, the EC now can postpone elections only on the polling day. He noted that the RPO includes provisions for taking action against election offenders, but no significant action was seen in the past. Asked about his thoughts on empowering the EC, Badiul said, "We will try to increase the powers of the independent Election Commission. It is under our consideration." He said, "It is also important to mention that we cannot make any individual independent. According to the constitution, the Election Commission is already independent. However, we cannot force someone to act independently if they have a subservient attitude. "That is why we are advocating for a law to ensure the appointment of neutral individuals as the CEC and ECs. If this happens, meaningful changes can take place." PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION Badiul said the reform commission would keep the issue of introduction of a proportional representation system "under serious consideration", along with the restoration of a caretaker government to oversee national elections; and limiting the tenures of the prime minister to two terms. He noted that these issues, as well as the introduction of bicameral legislation, and direct elections to women's seats, are related to constitutional amendments. The government formed a separate commission for constitutional reforms. "Members of the two commissions are discussing ways to ensure coordination between their proposals on such matters," Badiul said. Proportional representation is an electoral system in which seats in parliament are allocated to political parties based on the proportion of votes they receive in an election. About the caretaker government system, Badiul said, "Recently, the High Court issued a verdict regarding the restoration of the caretaker government. This is now a reality, and we are considering it in our recommendations." Asked about increasing the women seats and direct election to these seats, Badiul said that this will ensure women's "true representation" in parliament. The commission is thinking about a rotational voting system for women's seats, he said. If these seats are increased to 100, the total number of parliamentary seats will rise to 400. "These 100 seats would rotate across constituencies over three election cycles, with women competing alongside men for other seats," he said. He said that they are thinking about the reintroduction of "no vote" option on the ballot paper so that none get the chance of being elected unopposed. "No vote" was on the ballot papers in the 2008 polls, and none was elected unopposed in the election. Around 3,82,000 people cast "no vote" in that election, said EC officials. The reform commission is also likely to propose some other changes, including the requirement for candidates to disclose their foreign assets in their affidavits. The interim government constituted the electoral reform commission on October 3 and sought its report within 90 days. Since then, the commission has taken proposals from stakeholders, including political parties, former CECs, members of different citizen platforms, and general people. "We are at the final stage of our work and hopeful that will be able to submit the report within the stipulated time," Badiul said. The Electoral Reform Commission is likely to recommend an investigation into irregularities during the last three national polls held under ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina. It is also of the opinion that the election commissioners who oversaw those polls breached their oath of office to preserve the constitution, according to commission Chairman Badiul Alam Majumdar. The reform commission may recommend appointing election commissioners through a search committee with representatives from the government, the opposition, and the third-largest party in parliament. Besides the restoration of the caretaker government system, capping the tenures of a prime minister at two terms and a proportional representation system, the reform commission is likely to recommend giving more powers to the Election Commission (EC). While discussing the updates on the reform commission's work with The Daily Star recently, Badiul said the other points under consideration include increasing women's seats in parliament, the reintroduction of "no vote" on ballot papers, and allowing Bangladeshi migrants to cast their votes from abroad. PUNISHMENT 'A MUST' The last general election in January had been at the centre of controversy as it was not competitive and inclusive due to a boycott by the major opposition parties, including the BNP. The AL had to field dummy independent candidates, many of whom were leaders of the party, to make the polls appear participatory. The 2018 election became controversial with opposition parties alleging ballot-box stuffing the night before election day. In January 2019, the Jatiya Oikya Front alleged before the EC that between 30 and 60 percent of the votes were cast the night before. The same month, Transparency International, Bangladesh in a study found that stamping of ballots took place the night before election day in more than one centre in 33 of the 50 surveyed constituencies. The 2014 election was one-sided, in which 153 lawmakers out of 300 were elected unopposed as most of the opposition, including the BNP, boycotted the election. The AL-led alliance won more than two-thirds majorities in all three national elections held under the Hasina government. A section of police officials on Tuesday admitted that they were under pressure from higher authorities while performing duties during the last three national elections. In a meeting with the reform commission, they also alleged that there were "financial transactions" during the polls. The reform commission members believe that the election commissioners, by overseeing the "controversial" elections in 2014, 2018 and 2024, breached their "oath to preserve, protect, and defend the constitution." Its chief Badiul said everyone is aware of how those elections were conducted. "We are considering these issues so that no one can get the scope to evade accountability for their wrongdoing. Those responsible should be brought to justice and punished. These elections need to be investigated. If the question of justice arises, the matter must be investigated first. These are our considerations while preparing the recommendations," he said. He emphasised the EC's role as a constitutional body and said that the election commissioners took an oath to uphold the constitution and ensure the democratic system will be effective through free, fair, and neutral elections. "By failing to do so [hold fair polls], they have violated the constitution on one hand and breached their oath on the other," Badiul added. The reform commission is also thinking about how to hold the election commissioners accountable if they are involved in irregularities. The reform commission is considering proposing legal provisions to take action against the commissioners through investigation in such cases, said a member of the reform commission, who wished not to be named. MEANINGFUL CHANGES Badiul said that they are considering a recommendation to change the law under which the chief election commissioner and other election commissioners are appointed. The government can appoint its desired people as CEC and election commissioners under the law, he said. "There is weakness in the law, which is not befitting this era". To avoid manipulation of the system, the reform commission chief said, representatives from the opposition and the third-largest party in parliament, along with the treasury bench, should be included in the search committee responsible for selecting nominees for the CEC and other election commissioners' posts. The commission is likely to recommend restoring the provision of the Representation of the People Order, 1972 (RPO) that empowered the EC to postpone elections at any stage after announcing the schedule. After an amendment in July 2023, the EC now can postpone elections only on the polling day. He noted that the RPO includes provisions for taking action against election offenders, but no significant action was seen in the past. Asked about his thoughts on empowering the EC, Badiul said, "We will try to increase the powers of the independent Election Commission. It is under our consideration." He said, "It is also important to mention that we cannot make any individual independent. According to the constitution, the Election Commission is already independent. However, we cannot force someone to act independently if they have a subservient attitude. "That is why we are advocating for a law to ensure the appointment of neutral individuals as the CEC and ECs. If this happens, meaningful changes can take place." PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION Badiul said the reform commission would keep the issue of introduction of a proportional representation system "under serious consideration", along with the restoration of a caretaker government to oversee national elections; and limiting the tenures of the prime minister to two terms. He noted that these issues, as well as the introduction of bicameral legislation, and direct elections to women's seats, are related to constitutional amendments. The government formed a separate commission for constitutional reforms. "Members of the two commissions are discussing ways to ensure coordination between their proposals on such matters," Badiul said. Proportional representation is an electoral system in which seats in parliament are allocated to political parties based on the proportion of votes they receive in an election. About the caretaker government system, Badiul said, "Recently, the High Court issued a verdict regarding the restoration of the caretaker government. This is now a reality, and we are considering it in our recommendations." Asked about increasing the women seats and direct election to these seats, Badiul said that this will ensure women's "true representation" in parliament. The commission is thinking about a rotational voting system for women's seats, he said. If these seats are increased to 100, the total number of parliamentary seats will rise to 400. "These 100 seats would rotate across constituencies over three election cycles, with women competing alongside men for other seats," he said. He said that they are thinking about the reintroduction of "no vote" option on the ballot paper so that none get the chance of being elected unopposed. "No vote" was on the ballot papers in the 2008 polls, and none was elected unopposed in the election. Around 3,82,000 people cast "no vote" in that election, said EC officials. The reform commission is also likely to propose some other changes, including the requirement for candidates to disclose their foreign assets in their affidavits. The interim government constituted the electoral reform commission on October 3 and sought its report within 90 days. Since then, the commission has taken proposals from stakeholders, including political parties, former CECs, members of different citizen platforms, and general people. "We are at the final stage of our work and hopeful that will be able to submit the report within the stipulated time," Badiul said.Swinney and Brown at memorial service for ‘giant of a man’ Alex Salmond
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