Govt asked to explain 3 rules of RPO ordinance

The High Court (HC) yesterday issued a rule on the government and the Election Commission (EC) to explain within two weeks why three sections of the Representation of the People Ordinance (RPO) 2008 --including rules restricting religion based political parties to register their names in the EC's list -- should not be declared illegal.
An HC bench comprising Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain and Justice Farid Ahmed issued the rule upon a writ petition filed by Jamaat-e Islami secretary general Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mojaheed.
Mojaheed filed the petition, as a public interest litigation, with the HC challenging the legality of three sections of the amended RPO relating to the constitution of political parties and politics based on religion and party elections, reserved posts, front organisations and religious and other such discrimination in party constitutions.
The amended RPO makes it mandatory for political parties to elect members of committees at all levels, including members of the central committee.
A party constitution must also have provisions to meet the goal of reserving at least 33 per cent of all committee positions for women and successively meet this target by the year 2020.
According to the sections of the RPO, a political party will not qualify for registration if any discrimination regarding religion, race, caste, language or sex is apparent in its constitution, or if it threatens to destroy communal harmony or lead the country to territorial disintegration.
The government published the gazette on the RPO on August 19.
Barrister Abdur Razzak appeared for the petitioner.