The Right to Information (RTI) Forum has called for merit, experience, impartiality and integrity to be given top priority in appointing the Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioners, free from political and bureaucratic influence.
In a press release issued on Thursday, the forum said it had conveyed the appeal in a letter to Justice Farah Mahbub of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, who chairs the recently reconstituted five-member selection committee, as well as the committee’s other members.
According to the forum, the committee, formed under Section 14(1) of the Right to Information Act, 2009, has recently invited applications from qualified and interested candidates for the posts of Chief Information Commissioner and two Information Commissioners.
Welcoming the move, the forum said it provides an opportunity to establish an independent, impartial and effective Information Commission.
The letter stressed that a competent, objective and people-oriented Information Commission is essential for the effective implementation of the Right to Information Act.
It urged the selection committee to prioritise candidates’ professional competence, integrity, impartiality and commitment to serving the public interest, alongside their ability to discharge their statutory responsibilities.
The forum said that political considerations and bureaucratic influence had prevented the Information Commission from achieving its expected level of effectiveness in the past. It expressed hope that the current selection committee would help restore public confidence by recommending qualified and impartial individuals.
The letter was sent on behalf of Information Rights Forum Convener Shaheen Anam and was endorsed by members of the forum’s core group.
