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Party registration process hits snag

BNP still in dilemma as its allies object to registration rules barring religion-based parties

Shakhawat Liton
The Election Commission's (EC) efforts to ensure registration of the political parties before the December 18 polls have run into difficulties with Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Oikya Jote (IOD of the BNP-led alliance opposing some of the criteria.
Despite the EC's latest move to ease the registration procedure, BNP continues to be in a quandary over the issue for its allies' strong objections to the conditions that restrict registration of the religionbased organisations, sources in the four-party alliance said.
It was the opposition of Jamaat
and 1OJ that led to retreat from Tuesday's announcement that BNP would get registered on meeting the criteria stipulated in the revised Representation of the People Order (RPO), added the sources.
Against this backdrop, secretaries general of the four parties might meet today to decide on the next courseofaction.
The uncertainty over registration of the major political parties before the national election might go only if BNP manages to make Jamaat and IOJ change their mind.
According to the EC's new proposals unveiled last week, the political parties will not have to
organise national councils to amend their constitutions to meet the criteria for registration, now mandatory for the parties seeking election to parliament.
Those unable to hold councils at this time can still register by amending their constitutions provisionally. However, they must have the changes ratified at their national councils within six months since the first sitting of the ninth parliament.
Awami League (AL), Jatiya Party and some other political parties have already agreed with the proposals and announced they would apply for registration after Eid. Given a relaxed registration process. BNP too does not face any major problems in fulfilling the criteria.
But Jamaat and IOJ will have to bring major changes to their constitutions to get registered as political parties.
EC officials said the commission's plans to ensure registration by October and announce election schedules in the first week of November are quite uncertain now due to complications within the BNP-Jamaat alliance.
On August 28, Jamaat's secretary general filed a writ petition with the High Court (HC) challenging the registration conditions.
The same day the HC issued a rule on the government and the EC asking them to explain within two weeks why three RPO sections including the ones barring the registration of religion-based parties should not be declared illegal.
In the third-round electoral talks with the EC, Jamaat and IOJ said they do not accept some of the registration conditions, and demanded that those be scrapped immediately.
Particularly, they opposed the condition that says a political party shall not be qualified for registration if objectives in its constitution run counter to those in the constitution of the country.
Another provision says a party shall be adjudged ineligible to register also if its constitution seems to encourage discriminations on grounds of religion, race, caste, language or sex
Jamaat and IOJ have reservations also about having a specific provision in the party constitution of at least 33 percent positions at all committees reserved for women by the year 2020.
The EC however did not respond to the demands.
To get registered, both the parties will have to incorporate new provisions in their constitutions expressing allegiance to the constitution of Bangladesh. Presently, the objectives in their constitutions contradict the preamble in the country's.
Talking to reporters of late, an election commissioner said to be in politics in Bangladesh one must pledge allegiance to its [country'si constitution, the supreme law of
the land.
Leaders of Jamaat and IOJ said the EC should suspend the registration till the December 18 polls are over.
“The matter [registration provisions] is now sub judice. The Election Commission should not enforce the provisions until the court's rule is settled." Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojahid told The Daily Star yesterday.
Jamaat's Assistant Secretary General Mohammad Kamaruzzaman said, “We will have to wait till disposal of the rule."
Talking to The Daily Star, he said the alliance leaders will discuss the issue at today's meeting.
Asked about his party's stance, Abdul Latif Nezami, IOJ secretary general, said, “We may not take any step for registration until the rule is settled."
Referring to some criteria for registration, he said the EC set those to put the Islamic parties in a difficult situation.
BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain maintains that the alliance would take common decisions on registration.
If Jamaat and IOJ stick to their plan not to move before disposal of the HC rule, they might miss the time limit for registration.
According to the EC's announcement, political parties must apply by October 15 for registration on meeting the stipulations.
There is little prospect of Jamaat's writ petition being heard before the Supreme Court returns from vacation on October 12.
There has not been any move yet for a vacation bench to hear the rule, said court sources.
The EC has yet to respond to the rule as it did not receive the certified copy even in last four weeks, sources at the EC Secretariat said.
In response to the EC initiative to relax the registration, a BNP delegation led by its Vice-president MK Anwar met the commissioners TU esday.
After around two hours of discussions, they announced BNP would apply for registration and participate in the polls under the new electoral provisions.
But three hours later, Anwar said it was only his personal opinion.