The Election Commission (EC) will reintroduce "no-vote" option for constituencies with only one candidate to prevent uncontested wins, report agencies.
Under the proposed amendment to the Representation of the People Order (RPO), sole candidates must now compete against a "No" vote, Election Commissioner Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah said on Monday.
"If the 'No' vote prevails, the seat will remain vacant until a fresh election is held," he said following a meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin.
The proposed RPO reforms include several other changes and will be sent to the relevant ministry next week, Mr Sanaullah said.
Among the key reforms are allowing coalition nominees to contest under their own party symbols, broadening the legal definition of law enforcement agencies to include the Army, Navy, and Air Force, and removing all provisions related to electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Earlier, a session was held at Nirbachan Bhaban under Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin's chairmanship.
This meeting was a continuation of the Commission's ninth session.
During the meeting, it was decided to officially include the armed forces within the definition of law enforcement agencies, enabling deployment of army, navy, and air force personnel for law and order maintenance alongside other forces.
The current Election Commission had earlier announced it would not use EVMs. Accordingly, Mr Sanaullah confirmed all EVM-related provisions have been removed from the draft amendments.
He also highlighted new penalties for dereliction of duty by election officials, stipulating that any such issues must be investigated and reported to the EC within three working days.
The 'No vote' option was first introduced in the 2008 national election but was eliminated during the 9th Parliament. The Election Reform Commission has now recommended its reinstatement in the current proposals.
Also, candidates contesting elections under alliances must use their respective party's electoral symbols.
"If there is only one candidate in a constituency, they will no longer be elected unopposed. They must still compete against the 'No' vote. If 'No' votes win, the seat will remain vacant," Mr Sanaullah explained.
He added, "If approved by the government, these reforms will be enacted through an amendment ordinance.
Further consensus recommendations from the reform commission may also
be included later."
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