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EC to relax rules for registration

Shakhawat Ltton
The Election Commission (EC) is working to have some changes to the new electoral provisions to make it easier for the political parties to meet the criteria for registration.
It has already firmed up proposals for amendments to the recently revised Representation of the People Order (RPO) so the parties could make do with provisional changes to their constitutions to fulfil the conditions for registration.
However, they must give an undertaking that they will ratify the Most necessary amendments to the [party] constitutions at national councils within six months after formation of new parliament, EC sources said.
The EC move is part of efforts to break the impasse over registration of the political parties before the long-stalled ninth parliamentary polls tentatively planned for December.
According to its time limit, a political party must apply to the commission by October 15 for registration, now mandatory for those seeking election to parliament. of the political parties will have to amend their constitutions to meet the criteria set down by the amended RPO, and for that they must convene national councils.
The conditions for registration include, among others, severing ties with front organisations and chapters abroad.
Major parties like Awami League (AL), BNP, and Jatiya Party (JP) argue that the commission's time limit is impractical. They argue it is not possible to organise councils to amend constitutions at such short notice.
Besides, they say, the state of emergency makes this even harder.
As per the EC's new proposals, the parties who will bring about provisional changes to their constitutions to meet the criteria will have time till June to have those approved at national councils.
Though political parties including AL at the recent talks with the
EC called for scrapping of some RPO provisions that disallow front organisations and overseas units, the commission remains determined to enforce those.
The EC at a meeting yesterday discussed the draft proposals including the one for changing the provision that requires a party to choose candidates from a panel comprised of grassroots leaders.
But now, as per the proposal, a party's parliamentary board will be able to pick candidates from other sources as well, sources in the commission said
The provision was laid down in a bid to stop underhand deals over nominations.
The EC has drafted another proposal to allow loan defaulters to contest the upcoming parliamentary polls by rescheduling their loans before filing nominations, added the sources.
The amended RPO says someone defaulting on loans will not be
allowed to run in the polls if he fails to reschedule his loans six months before fifing of nomination.
Besides, there is a proposal to clarify the restrictions on NGO officials seeking to stand in the parliamentary polls.
The RPO says a person shall be disqualified for election as or for being a member of [parliament! unless three years have passed since his resignation as chief executive officer of a non-government organisation or retirement.
The restrictions caused widespread criticism as it applies to all NGO chiefs regardless of if one receives salary from the organisation or not.
According to draft proposal, the provision will apply only to the salaried chief executives of the NGOs, sources in the EC said.
The EC wifi send the proposals soon to the caretaker government to bring about the changes.