Bangladesh News

The Election Commission (EC) might in the end allow the loan defaulters to contest the upazila and parliamentary polls by rescheduling their loans before filing nominations, sources in the EC said.

For long delay in promulgation of the revised Representation of People Order (RPO), the time limits for rescheduling debt to qualify as a candidate in the local and national polls have already expired.

If the time stipulations are not relaxed, those defaulting on loans will not be able to run in the upazila polls on October 23 and the parliamentary election planned for December.

Promulgated on August 19, the amended RPO says a person with records of loan default in six months preceding the submission of nomination will be disqualified as a candidate in the general election.

As per Upazila Parishad Ordinance-2008, a person planning to run for the local body office must not have a history of loan default in a year before filing application for candidacy.

Despite successful execution of its policies on loan defaulters in last month’s polls to city corporations and municipalities, the EC might have to take a soft line in the upcoming upazila and parliamentary elections.

Speaking at a seminar Sunday, legal experts forewarned Chief Election Commissioner(CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda that the loan defaulters might take the commission to courts for not allowing them the time stipulated in the new electoral provisions to sort out loan problems.

The following day the EC met to review the RPO provisions, and decided in principle to go for further amendment after consultation with the political parties, said EC Secretariat sources.

“The commission might suggest that the government amend the RPO to suspend the restrictions on loan defaulters for the upazila and parliamentary polls,” said a senior official at the EC Secretariat.

If the restrictions are put on hold, loan defaulters will be allowed to contest the elections by rescheduling loans at any time before filing application for candidacy.

The EC faced similar problems in the recent local body polls with some prospective candidates alleging they did not get the stipulated one year’s time to reschedule debts.

The gazette notification on City Corporation Election Ordinance-2008 was published on May 14 and the elections were held on August 4.

Against the backdrop, the EC then declared that those who would repay all their loans would be eligible for election.

The EC was planning the same for the upcoming upazila and national elections. But with the spectre of a legal battle rising, it is now considering backing off from the plans.

RESTRICTIONS ON NGO OFFICIALS
The commission might also relax the restrictions on NGO officials’ participation in the parliamentary polls.

According to the new electoral provisions, a person who is holding or has resigned from the chief executive’s post of a non-government organisation shall be disqualified for election to parliament unless three years have passed since his resignation, retirement or discharge.

In response to widespread discontent among the NGOs run by local funds, the EC now plans to excuse them from the restriction, sources in the EC said.

In the commission’s original proposals for electoral reforms, the curb was meant for only the non-government organisations run on foreign grants or donations.

But the caretaker government made it applicable to all NGOs, causing anger and frustration among the NGOs registered with the Social Welfare Directorate as charity organisations and do not receive foreign funds or grant.

Chief executive of such an NGO has even appealed to the EC for withdrawal of the restrictions, sources said.