Awami League (AL) yesterday proposed that the state provide funds for political parties and their candidates to contest the next general election.
Placed before the Election Commission (EC) during the second-round talks on electoral reforms, its proposal says parties that obtained at least 10 percent of the vote in last election should be allocated Tk 15 lakh for each candidate they would field while Tk 50 crore for central electioneering.
"The state should finance the election expenditure for the organisations and their candidates," said AL Presidium Member Tofail Ahmed.
According to the proposal, only AL and BNP qualify for the funds from public purse since no-one except them polled 10 percent of the vote in the 8th parliamentary election.
The AL however opposed the EC's proposal to put a ceiling on election costs. The commission in its proposals said a registered political party with over 200 candidates should not be allowed to spend more than Tk 3 crore.
The ceiling would be Tk 2 crore if the number of candidates ranges between 100 and 200, and Tk 1 crore if it is below 100. Expenses of the candidates will add up to those of their parties, says the EC's revised proposals on polls expenditure.
The proposed limit is not rational and so should be changed, the AL observed. "There should be no check on election expenditure of the political parties," said Tofail.
In its proposals, the party asked for the ceiling of donations from individuals and organisations to be raised to Tk 10 lakh and Tk 50 lakh.
According to the EC proposals, an individual can donate a maximum of Tk 5 lakh to a registered political party in a year while the amount for an organisation would be no more than Tk 25 lakh.
The AL suggested that the EC organise projection or publicity meetings giving candidates opportunity to outline their credentials and seek vote for them or their parties.
Besides, the commission should paste election posters for the contenders in designated areas, it said adding that this all would help free the polls from influence of black money.
AL Presidium Member Amir Hossain Amu said if their proposals are implemented a candidate would be able to keep their spending limited to Tk 5 lakh, otherwise they might have to count way beyond Tk 15 lakh, the expenses check proposed by the EC.
In reply to the proposals for the EC to take on the electioneering responsibility for the contestants, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda said it would be a colossal task requiring a huge manpower that the commission does not have. "We can't execute the idea this time. We are however planning some projection meetings on Bangladesh Television for all party candidates."
About the proposal for state funding, he did not make any comment.
During the talks, the AL delegation led by acting president Zillur Rahman sought a date for the election, which it says, would clear the doubt in public mind about the long-stalled ninth parliamentary polls.
The party said they agree on most of the EC's proposals for electoral reforms, but have reservations about a few.
The AL leaders said they do not subscribe to the commission's views that political parties should not have overseas chapters.
They said the organisations that worked against the Liberation War and patronise militancy must not be allowed to register with the commission.
The party suggested that the EC should not allow election observers in the polling booths. In response, the poll chief said they are preparing some guidelines for the election observers.
It also asked the EC to drop its proposal seeking to disqualify the utility service bill defaulters from contesting the parliamentary elections, saying the matter is too complicated.
About the commission's proposal for requirement of "competent authorities' approval" to hold rallies during electioneering, the AL said the provision is unnecessary and should be dropped.
It suggested that instead of repealing the current Representation of People Order (RPO) 1972, the EC should bring necessary amendments to it.
The same day two other political parties---Jatiya Party (Ershad) and Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB)--participated in the talks with the EC.
Jatiya Party requested the commission to disqualify for registration the parties with brackets attached to their names.
The CPB in their proposals suggested that the EC set the expenditure ceiling for a candidate at Tk 3 lakh, instead of current Tk 5 lakh.
"The proposed ceiling of Tk 15 lakh will encourage the use of black money in the polls," the CPB leaders argued.
They also called for the commission not to allow anti-liberation forces to register as political party.
Besides, the CPB proposed introduction of proportional representation system in parliament and increasing the number of women's reserved seats with a provision of direct election.
EC MIGHT MONITOR POLLS EXPENDITURES
In the light of the political parties' demands, the EC might introduce a system to monitor election expenditure of the candidates and political parties, observed CEC Huda.
"We will consider if magistrates can be assigned to do the job during the polls," he told the CPB delegation.
Earlier on the opening day of the second-round talks Sunday, Workers Party too demanded monitoring of spending by candidates and parties.