87pc candidates exceed JS poll expense limit

Candidates in the last parliamentary poll on an average spent over Tk 44 lakh, flouting the Election Commission (EC) set poll expenditure limit of Tk 15 lakh for each candidate, revealed a Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) report yesterday.
At least 87 percent candidates, who won the polls and became members of the parliament (MPs), spent beyond the limit fixed by the EC.
Only 13 percent of the elected MPs kept their electoral spending within the fixed ceiling, said TIB researcher Shadhan Kumar Das, presenting the report at a media conference in the National Press Club in the capital.
The findings contradict the poll expenditure reports recently submitted to the EC by Awami League (AL), BNP and Jamaat.
According to the poll expenditure reports submitted by the parties AL's total poll expenditure was around Tk 4 crore, BNP's was Tk 4.49 crore, and Jamaat's was Tk 74.72 lakh.
"The EC must audit the electoral expenditures of the candidates and punish the violators according to the law," said Prof Muzaffer Ahmad, chairman of TIB.
The report titled "Ninth National Parliamentary Polls' Process Observation" was prepared on the basis of a survey on 88 candidates from all six divisions, 36 of whom were nominated by AL, 36 by BNP, 5 by Jatiya Party (JP), 3 by Jamaat-e-Islami, one by Zaker Party, and 7 were independents. Forty of the surveyed candidates became MPs, whose names TIB did not disclose.
"The surveyed candidates on an average spent Tk 44,20,979, while the EC's average stipulation was Tk 13,15,120," said Shadhan Kumar Das.
The highest spending by a single candidate was Tk 2.81 crore while the lowest was Tk 4.34 lakh, the report says.
On an average, AL candidates spent Tk 35,67,321, BNP candidates Tk 52,11,020, Jamaat-e-Islami candidates Tk 56,15,961, Jatiya Party candidates Tk 51,31,750, and independent candidates spent Tk 40,74,300.
Many cases are still pending with the appellate division of the Supreme Court against some elected MPs, said Prof Muzaffer, suggesting that the cases should be adjudicated soon and if any elected MPs candidacy is found to be illegal that election should be cancelled for a re-election before the budget session of the parliament.
According to the TIB report, 11 surveyed candidates, who won the polls, spent within the EC set limit, six of whom were AL candidates, four were BNP's, and one was an independent. But, TIB did not disclose their names either.
Fifty five percent of the 88 surveyed candidates had criminal cases against them at one point or the other of their lives, while 50 percent of them are still facing such cases. The number of cases against any one of them ranged between 1 and 15, Shadhan Kumar Das said.
At least three of the 88 surveyed candidates whitened black money, and three were accused of war crimes, he noted.
Many candidates also violated electoral rules by using megaphones for longer hours than stipulated by the EC, by pasting on walls large coloured posters, by bringing out motor cycle or bus processions, by distributing money among voters, by setting up more than 20 camps in a constituency, by using religion in campaigns, and even by coercing the minority population to vote for them through threats, says the report.
In the aftermath of the poll a total of 79 violent incidents took place including beatings, lootings, forceful occupation of buildings and other establishments, extortion, vandalism and murders.
The report says the EC tried to ensure participation of all political parties in the poll, took some actions against the violators of rules, but failed in applying the rules equally for all.
The caretaker government brought some important political and institutional reforms and created a peaceful poll environment, but allowed loan and bill defaulters to contest in it, the report notes.
"In most of the cases we found violations of electoral rules. But there were however more positive things than ever in the last parliamentary poll," Prof Muzaffer told reporters.
The political parties, who were consulted for framing the electoral law, themselves failed to prevent their own nominees from violating the rules, he said, adding that the media played a critical role for the election, but more investigative reporting on poll expenditures were necessary.
The EC set an example by not deploying the army in the by-elections, which should continue, Prof Muzaffer noted.
To enforce the electoral code of conduct, the EC should regularly monitor expenses of the candidates, make the expenditures public, prepare reports on the expenses, create a database of news reports published in the media and upload them on its website, and should hold weekly discussions on those, TIB recommended.
TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman, and senior researcher Shahzada M Akram were also present.