BNP asks EC to lower polls spending ceiling

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The BNP will ask the Election Commission to enforce laws to lower the ceiling for election spending of a candidate, said Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan reports, bdnews24.com.
The former BNP secretary general told the pressmen at his Gulshan home they wanted an election free of illegal money and violence.
Bhuiyan, who has been made convener to work out the draft of the party proposals to be placed before the commission, however, would not say what amount they would propose to be fixed as the election expenditure of a candidate.
Currently, a candidate can officially spend Tk 0.5 million in one constituency.
Bhuiyan, a former local government and rural development minister, said there should be a clear-cut provision in place to reduce the election spending.
He argued that an honest candidate could not run in polls because of the overwhelming influence of illegal money.
The senior leader said the party would focus on ways to ensure free, fair elections in the dialogue with the commission set for Nov 22.
"So, the BNP will talk about the matter in the dialogue," said Bhuiyan, known as a reformist in the troubled BNP.
"We want the elections be acceptable to all."
The commission has invited a BNP faction led by former finance minister M Saifur Rahman amid disapproval by another group led by former chief whip Khondoker Delwar Hossain.
Delwar said they are the original representatives of the BNP, arguing that the other group has betrayed detained party chief Khaleda Zia. But the other group claims to be the BNP mainstream.
The party is now scrutinising the EC-proposed draft of the electoral laws related to the Representation of People Order, registration of the political parties and a code of conduct for the parties, Bhuiyan said.
"We'll give our response to the commission. We're preparing our proposals," he said.
On whether they would propose trial of war criminals, as demanded by main rival the Awami League, Bhuiyan avoided a direct answer.
"We have held only one meeting. We need to sit more."