EC can but doesn’t verify claims properly
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statements of candidates and make them public. The EC later incorporated a provision in the law to this effect.
At least 1,896 aspirants will run for parliament in the January 7 election from the country’s 300 constituencies. Over 1,500 of them are nominees of 27 political parties.
AL Advisory Council member Nooh-Ul-Alam Lenin said if there is a provision for recording the candidates’ wealth information, there should also be a provision for verifying it.
“This might not be possible ahead of January 7. But those concerned should consider amending the law in the next parliament. This will increase people’s trust in wealth statements,” he said.
In Awami League’s 2008 election manifesto, one of the pledges was to “take effective steps against corruption”.
The manifesto reads, “Influential individuals have to disclose their annual wealth information. Stern steps will be taken to prevent and erase corruption… to wipe out graft, unearned money, defaulted loans, extortion, tender manipulation, and muscle power.”
In its 2014 election manifesto, the AL replaced the word Influential with “citizens of all tiers”.
“Accountability of citizens from all tiers regarding one’s wealth, income will be ensured,” it reads.
In the 2018 manifesto, the AL did not mention issues related to wealth.
AL lawmaker Saber Hossain Chowdhury in 2010 placed a bill on the Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament in the Jatiya Sangsad.
The bill was aimed at ensuring that lawmakers uphold high moral standards in and outside the House.
The UK, India, Canada, South Africa, and different other countries have codes of conduct for their MPs.
However, no step was taken to pass Saber’s bill.
Shujan Secretary Badiul said if Saber’s bill was passed, the MPs would have been required to disclose their wealth information every year.
Responding to a question regarding the allegations of unusual increase in the wealth of some AL nominees, the party’s General Secretary Obaidul Quader on December 12 said, “If the Anti-Corruption Commission does not raise questions, and the aspirant is allowed to participate in the polls, then you cannot call them corrupt.”
Rights activist and former adviser to a caretaker government Sultana Kamal said she is surprised at how the wealth of some candidates has increased.
“When I read the newspapers, I wonder if this is real… the wealth of some people has increased by 200 times, 300 times or 400 times,” she said, adding the candidates’ wealth information must be scrutinised.