EC to go tough on loan, bill defaulters

The Election Commission is drafting a rule to make restrictions on loan and utility services bill defaulters more stringent to prevent their participation in parliamentary polls.
According to the proposed rule, a loan defaulter must reschedule the loan six months before filing application for candidacy in parliamentary polls. An individual with records of defaulting utility services bills must also clear the bills with the same time in hand.
The EC is also preparing a set of other proposals, including one to take action against a candidate for suppressing information while filing application for candidacy, to strengthen itself for holding parliamentary election in a free and fair manner.
Officials at the EC Secretariat said the commission would finalise the proposals on consultation with political parties and then send those to the government to amend the electoral laws.
The current provisions of the Representation of the People Order (RPO) allow a defaulter to reschedule their loan and pay outstanding bills only seven days before filing applications seeking candidature.
The first amendment to the RPO was brought hurriedly before the ninth parliamentary elections with the provision of six months' timeframe. But the timeframe was shortened to seven days in the face of strong demand from political parties.
EC officials said the commission is drafting proposals for taking action against a candidate, like disqualifying a person from parliamentary election, for suppressing information in the affidavit submitted along with the application for candidacy.
The RPO does not have any specific provision on taking action against a lawmaker if s/he is found guilty of suppressing information in the affidavit after the election is over.
In the absence of a specific provision, the EC has faced difficulties in taking action against BNP lawmaker Salauddin Quader Chowdhury who concealed information on his educational qualification in the affidavit.
"The commission could have vacated parliament membership of Salauddin Quader Chowdhury if there were a specific provision in the RPO," a senior EC official said.
The EC is also drafting a proposal for increasing the election expenditure ceiling for a candidate to Tk 25 lakh from the existing Tk 15 lakh.
It has also decided to propose providing parliamentary political parties with state funds to meet their election expenditures.
"We are, however, yet to work out the plan in details," a senior official said.
A few more proposals will also be drafted. The EC is examining the current provisions of the RPO to find out loopholes in the existing electoral laws.
"We are yet to complete examining the RPO. We will hold more meetings to discuss its various provisions," Election Commissioner Muhammed Sohul Hussain told The Daily Star yesterday.
Once the proposals are ready, the EC will hold dialogues with political parties for their opinions.