Politics freed further

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The caretaker government yesterday relaxed the Emergency Power Rules (EPR) once again, allowing political parties to resume their organisational activities, on a limited scale, all over the country from today.

According to a gazette notification issued by the home ministry yesterday, political parties from today may hold meetings of their forums to discuss only organisational affairs and preparations for the upcoming parliamentary election.

“No discussion can be held or decision can be taken on other issues,” said a home ministry source quoting from the government notification.

Offices of all political parties at all levels are likely to start buzzing again with their leaders and workers after over a year’s hiatus following a countrywide ban on ‘indoor politics’ slapped by the military backed caretaker government on March 8 of last year, almost two months into the declaration of the state of emergency on January 11.

The government however allowed ‘indoor politics’ again, albeit only in the capital, from September 10 of last year with a set of conditions attached.

The earlier relaxation of the emergency regime allowed political parties to hold meetings of their forums only to discuss organisational affairs, election preparations, and the Election Commission’s (EC) electoral reform proposals, only within the capital.

After getting directives from the military backed caretaker government, the home ministry yesterday issued a fresh notification cancelling the earlier one, and allowing ‘indoor politics’ all over the country from today, the ministry sources said.

According to yesterday’s notification, which relaxes the provisions of EPR further, a maximum of 200 leaders and workers of political parties or of any other legitimate organisation, or the same number of individuals may meet at a time indoors, by informing proper authorities 48 hours in advance.

For any meeting of over 200 people, permission will have to be taken from metropolitan police commissioners in metropolitan areas, and from other proper authorities outside the metropolitan areas, 72 hours in advance.

The earlier notification of September 9 last year had allowed only a maximum of 50 leaders or workers of only political parties to meet at a time, while the right had not been extended to any other organisation.

According to the latest relaxation, a political party or an organisation may hold meetings in its offices, auditoriums, hotels, restaurants, conference centres, in residences of organisation members, etc but it will not be allowed to hold such meetings in any open space, a home ministry source said quoting from the notification.

But, a government handout circulated yesterday said live broadcast of the ‘indoor’ meetings on any electronic media will not be allowed, although the news and details of the meetings will be allowed to be disseminated through news reports on all media. Use of equipment, that may carry the sound of the meeting place outside the premises, will not be allowed, the handout added.

“The home ministry through a notification, after a few months, may again allow political parties to hold meetings in open spaces, when they will be ready for holding their national councils,” the home ministry source said.

According to the EC’s proposed electoral laws, political parties seeking to contest in parliamentary elections will have to hold their national councils to amend their constitutions and to elect new committees for being registered with the commission.

According to EPR, violation of the newly relaxed restrictions is punishable with prison terms of two years to five years and fines.

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