Anyone who is accused in default or a case will not be able to participate in election.
The Electoral Reforms Commission has set a benchmark for who can and cannot participate the next national parliament and local government elections. Analysts feel that many of the recommendations proposed by the commission could be a thorn in the side of political parties. They believe that if the government considers some of the recommendations, it will move towards political liberation. Because there was a precedent of holding elections from jail in past elections.
This time the commission has recommended that the government declare accused persons, loan defaulters and convicted persons ineligible to participate elections. However, whatever the recommendation, its implementation depends on the political parties. Since representatives of political parties participate elections, the parties will want qualified candidates as per their convenience.
Regarding reforms, the BNP has been saying from the beginning that it is not possible to legitimize reforms without an elected government. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said that a framework is created; reforms will definitely be necessary. But the force that will be needed behind those reforms is an elected parliament and an elected government. Without this, we will never be able to legitimize reforms. Fascists will be able to do this.
After reviewing the recommendations submitted to the interim government by the Electoral Reform Commission, it was found that in the spirit of the July Movement, many stringent conditions have been added for candidates to participate elections. Among these, all types of loan defaulters will be ineligible to participate in the next elections. Again, if someone is declared a fugitive by a court, he will not be able to participate. The issue of conviction is not important here. If he is declared a fugitive, he will be ineligible. In addition, under Article 66 (2) (d) of the Constitution, a person convicted in a court of law for an offence involving moral turpitude will not be able to participate parliamentary elections from the beginning of his sentence. Again, persons convicted under the ICT Act (International Crimes Tribunal) will be ineligible to participate from the beginning of his sentence.
Another new condition has been added to the recommendation, that those accused of serious human rights violations (extrajudicial killings, disappearances, inhuman torture, attacks on journalists/human rights activists) and serious corruption, money laundering should be declared disqualified from becoming members of parliament by enacting a special law under Article 66 (2) (g) of the Constitution.
Chairman of the National Election Monitoring Council, Professor Dr. Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah, told our time that there are precedents of holding elections from prisons before. The recommendations made by the commission are an attempt to depoliticize them. The recommendations are not people-friendly and such recommendations are not acceptable.
The heads of the four reform commissions have already recommended reform proposals to the chief advisor. Those proposals have been published on the websites of the respective commissions. A proposal for public opinion has also been made. According to the announcement of the interim government, the government will soon hold a meeting with political parties on behalf of the National Coordination Commission. After receiving the opinions of the political parties there, the government will express its position. However, most political parties, including the BNP, have been pressuring the government for elections from the beginning. The parties demand that necessary electoral reforms should be made and elections should be held soon.
Regarding the reforms, the BNP Secretary General said, if minimum reforms are made and elections are held, many problems will be solved. He said, proposals for reforms have started coming. We believe that the chief advisor will soon discuss these issues, come to a solution and there will be discussions. We will reach a place based on consensus.
The head of the Electoral Reforms Commission, Badiul Alam Majumder, believes that the proposal given to the government is good for the country and the nation. He said, we are not trying to keep anyone away by force, unfairly or undeservedly. We have recommended that those who have committed crimes, have been punished, or for whom prima facie evidence of crimes has been found, should be kept away from the electoral system. I hope the government will accept these recommendations.
On January 15, the heads of the Election Commission, Anti-Corruption Commission, Police and the commission formed for constitutional reforms submitted the reform proposals to the chief advisor of the interim government. The government will soon sit down with political parties on those recommendations.
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