Trackback URL
Download PDF Awami League (AL) yesterday proposed that the state provide funds for the candidates and political parties to contest the next general election.
Placed before the Election Commission (EC) during the second-round talks on electoral reforms, its proposal says parties that obtained at least 10 percent of the vote in last election should be allocated Tk 15 lakh for each candidate they would field and Tk 50 crore for central electioneering.
“The state should finance the election expenditure for the organisations and their candidates,” said AL Presidium Member Tofail Ahmed.
According to the proposal, only AL and BNP qualify for the funds from public purse since no-one except them polled 10 percent of the vote in the 8th parliamentary polls.
The AL however opposed the EC’s proposal to put a ceiling on election expenses. The commission in its proposals said a registered political party having over 200 candidates should not be allowed to spend more than Tk 3 crore for election purposes.
The spending ceiling would be Tk 2 crore if the number of candidates ranges between 100 and 200, and Tk 1 crore if it is below 100. Expenses of the candidates will add up to those of their parties, says the EC’s revised proposals regarding polls expenditure.
The proposed ceiling is not rational and so should be changed, the AL observed. “There should be no check on election expenditure of the political parties,” said Tofail.
In its proposals, the AL asked for the ceiling of donations from individuals and organisations to be raised to Tk 10 lakh and Tk 50 lakh.
According to the EC proposals, an individual can donate a maximum of Tk 5 lakh to a registered political party in a year while the amount for an organisation would be no more than Tk 25 lakh.
The AL suggested that the EC organise projection or publicity meetings for candidates to argue why people should vote for them or their parties.
It also says the commission should paste election posters for the contenders in designated areas.
This sort of electioneering would help free the polls from influence of black money, it added.
If the proposals are implemented a candidate would be able to keep their expenses limited to Tk 5 lakh, otherwise they might have to count way beyond Tk 15 lakh, reasoned AL Presidium Member Amir Hossain Amu.
In reply to the proposals for the EC to take on the electioneering responsibility for the contestants, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda said it would be a colossal task requiring a huge manpower that the commission does not have. “We can’t implement the idea this time. We are however planning some projection meetings on Bangladesh Television for all party candidates.”
About the proposal for state funding, he did not make any comment.
During the talks, the AL delegation led by acting president Zillur Rahman sought a date of the election, which it says, would clear the doubt in public mind about the long-stalled ninth parliamentary polls.
The party however agreed on most of the EC’s proposals for electoral reforms.
It said the organisations that worked against the Liberation War and patronise militancy must not be allowed to register with the EC.
It also suggested that the EC should not allow election observers to enter the polling booths. In response, the poll chief said they are preparing some guidelines for the election observers.
The AL leaders asked the EC to drop its proposal seeking to disqualify the utility service bill defaulters from contesting the parliamentary elections, saying the matter is too complicated.
About the commission’s proposal for requirement of competent authorities’ approval to hold rallies during electioneering, the AL said the provision is unnecessary and should be dropped.
It suggested that instead of repealing the current Representation of People Order (RPO) 1972, the EC should bring necessary amendments to it.
The same day two other political parties—Jatiya Party (Ershad) and Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB)–participated in the talks with the EC.
Jatiya Party agreed on most of the EC’s proposals. It requested the commission to disqualify for registration the parties with brackets attached to their names.
The CPB in their proposals suggested that the EC set the expenditure ceiling for a candidate at Tk 3 lakh, instead of current Tk 5 lakh.
“The proposed ceiling of Tk 15 lakh will encourage the usage of black money in the polls,” the CPB leaders argued.
They also called for the commission not to allow anti-liberation forces to register as political party.
Besides, the CPB proposed introduction of proportional representation system in parliament and increasing the number of women’s reserved seats with a provision of direct election.
EC MIGHT MONITOR POLLS EXPENDITURES
In light of the political parties’ demands, the EC might introduce a system to monitor the election expenditure of the candidates and political parties, observed CEC Huda.
“We will consider if magistrates can be assigned to do the job during the polls,” he told the CPB delegation.
Earlier on the opening day of the second-round talks Sunday, Workers Party too demanded that the EC introduce a monitoring system.
Comments are not moderated and only expresses personal views of visitors. BangladeshNews.com.bd is not responsible for commets posted by visitors.
Leave a Reply