The Election Commission has finalised amendments to the Representation of the People Order, including a clause that would disqualify anyone declared a fugitive accused by a court from contesting parliamentary elections.
Election Commissioner Abul Fazl Md Sanauallah outlined the proposals at a press briefing at Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital鈥檚 Agargaon area on Wednesday, a day after the commission had sent the draft to the law ministry for vetting.
Once reviewed, the draft will be forwarded to the Advisory Council of the interim government and, if approved, it will be enacted through a presidential ordinance.
Under the current law, only those convicted of criminal offences are barred from contesting in the polls, Sanauallah explained.
He said that the new provision would apply to individuals declared fugitives during trial proceedings.
He acknowledged earlier concerns that such a clause could be misused, but said that the commission had held discussions with the National Consensus Commission and was now convinced of its necessity.
If problems arise, the law can be revised again, Sanauallah said.
The commission, in its preliminary draft, proposed an option of online submission of nomination papers, but finally dropped the provision.
If the government suspends a political party鈥檚 activities, its registration and reserved electoral symbol will also remain suspended, though the party itself is not declared illegal, the commission also proposed.
The election commissioner said that they proposed to increase the security deposit for the candidates from Tk 20,000 to Tk 50,000.
Appeals against scrutiny decisions may now be filed not only by the candidate or the bank but also by the government鈥檚 financial or service institutions.
The 鈥榥o鈥� vote provision has been reinstated. If a constituency has only one candidate, voters must still be given the option to reject him.
If 鈥榥o鈥� receives more votes, a re-poll will be held. If the re-poll still produces only one candidate, no further 鈥榥o鈥� votes will be required.
In case of a candidate vying in the election as one from an alliance, he or she would have to contest with his or her party鈥檚 symbol rather than a common symbol, according to the proposals.
The provision to select a winner through a lottery in case of a tie between two candidates has been scrapped in the proposed amendment. In such cases, the commission proposed to hold a re-poll.
The election expenditure ceiling, which had been Tk 25 lakh or Tk 10 per voter, whichever was lower, has been revised to 鈥榳hichever is higher鈥�.
This provided flexibility, as constituencies vary in size, geography and costs, Sanaullah said.
He said that the donation ceiling for the parties had been raised, allowing individuals to contribute up to Tk 50 lakh and institutions up to Tk 50 lakh, compared to the previous limits of Tk 10 lakh and Tk 50 lakh, respectively.
In line with its earlier decision, the commission removed all provisions related to the use of the Electronic Voting Machines from the RPO, confirming that the upcoming election would be conducted entirely in the traditional voting method.
The affidavit process has been tightened as the candidates must now attach income tax returns of the latest year, declare sources of income at home and abroad, and provide details of property and debt both inside and outside Bangladesh.
Copies of affidavits, especially asset statements, would be published on the EC鈥檚 website.
If any candidate provides false information in the affidavit, or if it appears to the EC that false information has been provided, the Commission may investigate and take action.
At any time during the five-year term for which he or she was elected, the concerned person may be recalled. His or her candidacy will be cancelled, and he or she will lose his or her seat as a member of parliament, the final draft of the RPO proposed.
It also proposed that the commission would have the authority to cancel the election results across all 300 constituencies, if necessary.
Sanaullah said that previously the presiding officer could decide to start or stop voting, but a provision was later added requiring him to call law enforcement agencies for inspection and a report before acting.
He said that the final draft had removed the provision and returned to the earlier system where the presiding officer would be the supreme in the centre and would be able to decide whether to continue or stop voting.
The election commissioner said that the amendments also addressed digital campaigning, prohibiting the use of social media and artificial intelligence in violation of the code of conduct, as AI-generated content is increasingly difficult to detect.
The draft proposed that political parties must submit in advance to the EC details of the platforms and links they intend to use.
The proposals included the army, navy and air force in the definition of law enforcement agencies during the elections.
It proposed that the polling stations would be listed by district election officers and would be approved by the Election Commission.
It said that the persons serving on the governing bodies of educational institutions within a constituency would be disqualified from contesting elections, as would executives in state-owned companies where the government holds more than 50 per cent shares.
Sanaullah added that the code of conduct provisions had been brought into law, with penalties of up to six months鈥� imprisonment and a fine of up to Tk 1.5 lakh for certain violations, while political parties, which cannot be imprisoned, would face a fine of up to Tk 1 lakh.
The election commissioner said that postal ballots would remain, and that the four categories of voters entitled to them, expatriate Bangladeshis, government officials on duty outside their constituencies, those involved in election work, and those in custody, would also remain.