Amended RPO eases rules for loan defaulter candidates

Parliament passed the Representation of the People Order (Amendment) Bill 2023 on Tuesday, allowing bank defaulters to contest elections by rescheduling their loans one day before the polling.
Previously, a bank-defaulting candidate had to reschedule loan seven days before the polling.
JP lawmakers Fakhrul Imam, Pir Habibur Rahman and Rawshan Ara Mannan opposed the bill, saying it would encourage defaulters and also curtail the powers of the Election Commission (EC).
“Why is such kindness shown to loan defaulters?” they posed this question to law minister Anisul Huq.
In reply, he argued that this provision would encourage defaulters to rematch money and the government exchequer would thus be enriched.
A defaulter has a right to run in the elections if he or she becomes a non-defaulter by repaying money, according to Mr Huq.
The MPs also opposed section 91 of the new RPO bill.
It says the EC will only have the power to scrap voting of the polling centres, where irregularities take place, and not that of an entire constituency.
The new bill also stipulates that the EC will only be able to cancel or postpone voting on an election day.
According to section 91 of the RPO-1972, the EC may stop the voting at any polling centre or the entire constituency at any stage of the election if it is convinced that it will not be able to ensure the conduct of the election justly, fairly and in accordance with the law due to malpractices, including coercion, intimidation and pressures.
According to the latest amendment, several EC officials have said, the EC would be able to cancel the polling in a centre or centres, not the entire constituency.
The bill proposes changing the word “elections” with “polls” in section 91. The change of the word limits when the EC can cancel or postpone elections.
“Polls” mean the process of voting in an election, in other words, on an election day. “Elections” mean the period between the announcement of the schedule and the declaration of unofficial results.
The law minister said the power of the EC would not be curtailed through this bill.
He cited the scrapping of elections in entire constituency for irregularities at a single centre as undemocratic.
“A constituency has 100-150 polling centres, so for intimidation in a particular polling centre, scrapping voting for all centres of the same constituency is not logical as people have exercised their rights in the other polling centres.”
The amendment also proposed punishment of those who obstruct media personnel covering the polls and also election observers.
The bill was passed rejecting the amendments placed by the opposition lawmakers.
People want a credible election under a non-partisan government. So, no attempt should be taken to curtail the freedom of the EC, they asserted.
mirmostafiz@yahoo.com