bdnews24.com :
A legal provision that can lead to cancellation of registration of political parties has drawn much attention since the BNP and its allies boycott the Tenth parliament polls in January 2014.
Clause 90H (1) of the Representation of the People Order (RPO) states that the registration of a political party may be cancelled if it does not participate in two consecutive parliamentary elections.
That makes it necessary for 21 parties, including the BNP, to participate in the Eleventh National Elections in order to maintain their registration.
That’s why the ruling Awami League leaders advise the BNP to ‘stop protesting’ and prepare for the next election. The new Election Commission led by KM Nurul Huda has also urged all political parties to participate. BNP and its allies, however, have dubbed the new CEC a ‘favourite of the prime minister’ and suggested that elections overseen by Huda would neither be free nor fair.
The clause was added to the RPO in 2008, when ATM Shamsul Huda headed the Election Commission, alongside several other requirements for registration.
The Shamsul Huda-led commission registered 39 parties under the amendment. Of these, 38 participated in the 2008 national polls. The amendment was ratified in Parliament in 2009. Twelve political parties participated in the Eleventh Parliamentary Elections on Jan 5, 2014. The Awami League, Jatiya Party, Workers Party of Bangladesh, the National Socialist Party, Tarikat Federation of Bangladesh, Jatiya Party-JP, Bangladesh Nationalist Front-BNF, Bangladesh National Awami Party, Bangladesh Khilafat Majlish, Gono Front, Bangladesh Islami Front and the Democratic Party participated in the Eleventh Parliamentary Elections.
Aside from the BNF, all the 11 parties who took part in the Tenth General Elections also participated in the Ninth. Twenty-seven other parties also took part. They were: BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, the Liberal Democratic Party LDP, Bangladesh Jatiya Party-BJP, Islamic Movement Bangladesh, Bikalpadhara Bangladesh, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh, Zaker Party, The Islamic Alliance, he National Democratic Party, Krishak Sramik Janata League, The People’s Forum, Communist Party of Bangladesh, the Socialist Party of Bangladesh, the National Socialist Party JSD, Bangladesh Kalyan party, Bangladesh Khilafat Movement, the Progressive Democratic Party,National People’s Party, Bangladesh National Awami Party-Bangladesh NAP, United Citizens Movement, the Biplobi Workers Party of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Muslim League, Islamic Front Bangladesh, Freedom Party, the Bangladesh Communist Party (ML) and the Bangladesh National Party. Due to their failure to submit the necessary documents alongside the 39 parties, the Freedom Party’s registration was cancelled in 2009.
In 2013, according to a court order that said the party had not fulfilled the necessary requirements, Jamaat-e-Islami’s registration was also cancelled. Three new parties were registered before the Tenth Parliamentary Elections in 2013. Currently a total of 40 parties are registered with the Election Commission. The three new parties, the Bangladesh Muslim League, the Bangladesh Cultural Muktijot and the Bangladesh Nationalist Front (BNF), participated in the Tenth elections and are not at risk of registration cancellation. Though 39 parties had registered before the Ninth National Elections, only 38 contested the 2008 elections. Khilafat Majlish did not contest.
“We did not participate in the ninth and tenth general elections,” the party’s Secretary General Ahmed Abdul Qauder told this news agency. “The EC asked us why we should not lose our registration and we responded accordingly.” The election commission was ‘satisfied’ with the answer, he said, and allowed the party to maintain its registration. EC Assistant Secretary Roshan Ara Begum confirmed a letter had been sent from the EC to the party asking why they should not be removed. The party responded that it had fielded candidates in the 2009 Rangpur-3 and the Habiganj-1 by-elections. “Their claim was investigated. As they participated in the by-polls their registration has been maintained.” EC officials say the question of cancelling registration could be raised once again if the party does not participate in the Eleventh General Election.
Though they did not contest the Tenth General Elections, the Krishak Sramik Janata League fought the Moulvibazar-3 and Narayanganj-5 by-elections, the NPP fielded candidates in the Magura-1 and Tangail-4 by-elections, and the Bangladesh NAP and the Islamic Alliance participated in the Mymensingh-3 by-elections.
For this reason the four parties are not currently at risk. EC Secretary Mohammad Abdullah told bdnews24.com that, according to the RPO, the registration of a party can be maintained if it participates in by-elections within the two terms.
In this way the dozen parties who participated in the Tenth National Elections and the four parties that fielded candidates in by-elections have averted the risk of losing registration. The EC has told the other parties to ensure they don’t violate the registration clause. BNP, the Liberal Democratic Party LDP, Bangladesh Jatiya Party-BJP, the Islamic Movement Bangladesh, Bikalpadhara Bangladesh, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh, Zaker Party, National Democratic Party, the People’s Forum, Communist Party of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Socialist Party, the Socialist Party-JSD, Welfare party of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Khilafat Movement, the Progressive Democratic Party, United National Movement, the Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Muslim League, Bangladesh Islamic Front, the Communist Party (ML) and the Bangladesh National Party.
Any interested parties will be notified of the new registration before the Eleventh General Elections, EC Secretary Mohammad Abdullah told bdnews24.com. Those meeting the requirements will be registered as political parties “Registration applications will be sought in due time once the EC has made its decision on the new registration,” he said. “At this moment none of the parties are at risk. One party was asked about their position, but their registration was maintained due to participation in by-polls.”
Asked about recent discussions of threats of registration cancellation for parties that boycotted the Tenth General Elections, the EC Secretary said, “The eleventh general elections are still a long way off. There are also by-elections in which parties can participate. It would not be right to speak on these matters before the next parliamentary elections. The EC’s work will proceed according to the law.”
A legal provision that can lead to cancellation of registration of political parties has drawn much attention since the BNP and its allies boycott the Tenth parliament polls in January 2014.
Clause 90H (1) of the Representation of the People Order (RPO) states that the registration of a political party may be cancelled if it does not participate in two consecutive parliamentary elections.
That makes it necessary for 21 parties, including the BNP, to participate in the Eleventh National Elections in order to maintain their registration.
That’s why the ruling Awami League leaders advise the BNP to ‘stop protesting’ and prepare for the next election. The new Election Commission led by KM Nurul Huda has also urged all political parties to participate. BNP and its allies, however, have dubbed the new CEC a ‘favourite of the prime minister’ and suggested that elections overseen by Huda would neither be free nor fair.
The clause was added to the RPO in 2008, when ATM Shamsul Huda headed the Election Commission, alongside several other requirements for registration.
The Shamsul Huda-led commission registered 39 parties under the amendment. Of these, 38 participated in the 2008 national polls. The amendment was ratified in Parliament in 2009. Twelve political parties participated in the Eleventh Parliamentary Elections on Jan 5, 2014. The Awami League, Jatiya Party, Workers Party of Bangladesh, the National Socialist Party, Tarikat Federation of Bangladesh, Jatiya Party-JP, Bangladesh Nationalist Front-BNF, Bangladesh National Awami Party, Bangladesh Khilafat Majlish, Gono Front, Bangladesh Islami Front and the Democratic Party participated in the Eleventh Parliamentary Elections.
Aside from the BNF, all the 11 parties who took part in the Tenth General Elections also participated in the Ninth. Twenty-seven other parties also took part. They were: BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, the Liberal Democratic Party LDP, Bangladesh Jatiya Party-BJP, Islamic Movement Bangladesh, Bikalpadhara Bangladesh, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh, Zaker Party, The Islamic Alliance, he National Democratic Party, Krishak Sramik Janata League, The People’s Forum, Communist Party of Bangladesh, the Socialist Party of Bangladesh, the National Socialist Party JSD, Bangladesh Kalyan party, Bangladesh Khilafat Movement, the Progressive Democratic Party,National People’s Party, Bangladesh National Awami Party-Bangladesh NAP, United Citizens Movement, the Biplobi Workers Party of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Muslim League, Islamic Front Bangladesh, Freedom Party, the Bangladesh Communist Party (ML) and the Bangladesh National Party. Due to their failure to submit the necessary documents alongside the 39 parties, the Freedom Party’s registration was cancelled in 2009.
In 2013, according to a court order that said the party had not fulfilled the necessary requirements, Jamaat-e-Islami’s registration was also cancelled. Three new parties were registered before the Tenth Parliamentary Elections in 2013. Currently a total of 40 parties are registered with the Election Commission. The three new parties, the Bangladesh Muslim League, the Bangladesh Cultural Muktijot and the Bangladesh Nationalist Front (BNF), participated in the Tenth elections and are not at risk of registration cancellation. Though 39 parties had registered before the Ninth National Elections, only 38 contested the 2008 elections. Khilafat Majlish did not contest.
“We did not participate in the ninth and tenth general elections,” the party’s Secretary General Ahmed Abdul Qauder told this news agency. “The EC asked us why we should not lose our registration and we responded accordingly.” The election commission was ‘satisfied’ with the answer, he said, and allowed the party to maintain its registration. EC Assistant Secretary Roshan Ara Begum confirmed a letter had been sent from the EC to the party asking why they should not be removed. The party responded that it had fielded candidates in the 2009 Rangpur-3 and the Habiganj-1 by-elections. “Their claim was investigated. As they participated in the by-polls their registration has been maintained.” EC officials say the question of cancelling registration could be raised once again if the party does not participate in the Eleventh General Election.
Though they did not contest the Tenth General Elections, the Krishak Sramik Janata League fought the Moulvibazar-3 and Narayanganj-5 by-elections, the NPP fielded candidates in the Magura-1 and Tangail-4 by-elections, and the Bangladesh NAP and the Islamic Alliance participated in the Mymensingh-3 by-elections.
For this reason the four parties are not currently at risk. EC Secretary Mohammad Abdullah told bdnews24.com that, according to the RPO, the registration of a party can be maintained if it participates in by-elections within the two terms.
In this way the dozen parties who participated in the Tenth National Elections and the four parties that fielded candidates in by-elections have averted the risk of losing registration. The EC has told the other parties to ensure they don’t violate the registration clause. BNP, the Liberal Democratic Party LDP, Bangladesh Jatiya Party-BJP, the Islamic Movement Bangladesh, Bikalpadhara Bangladesh, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh, Zaker Party, National Democratic Party, the People’s Forum, Communist Party of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Socialist Party, the Socialist Party-JSD, Welfare party of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Khilafat Movement, the Progressive Democratic Party, United National Movement, the Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Muslim League, Bangladesh Islamic Front, the Communist Party (ML) and the Bangladesh National Party.
Any interested parties will be notified of the new registration before the Eleventh General Elections, EC Secretary Mohammad Abdullah told bdnews24.com. Those meeting the requirements will be registered as political parties “Registration applications will be sought in due time once the EC has made its decision on the new registration,” he said. “At this moment none of the parties are at risk. One party was asked about their position, but their registration was maintained due to participation in by-polls.”
Asked about recent discussions of threats of registration cancellation for parties that boycotted the Tenth General Elections, the EC Secretary said, “The eleventh general elections are still a long way off. There are also by-elections in which parties can participate. It would not be right to speak on these matters before the next parliamentary elections. The EC’s work will proceed according to the law.”
