EC seeks educational certificates of SQ Chy, Ruhul Amin

The Election Commission (EC) ignored electoral laws allowing BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury and Jatiya Party Secretary General ABM Ruhul Amin Hawlader to contest the December 29 parliamentary election last year but now it has moved to enforce those.
Both of them, now lawmakers of the ninth parliament, had provided incomplete information about their educational qualification in the affidavits, and as per electoral laws they were supposed to be declared disqualified for contesting the polls.
But on their verbal promise to submit copies of certificates of their educational qualification 'as early as possible', the EC allowed them
to contest the national election. Both are yet to do so, EC sources said.
The commission yesterday sent letters asking them to submit attested copies of their certificates on or before May 31.
“We will write to the speaker informing him that both the lawmakers were disqualified for contesting the election, and are now ineligible to continue as members of parliament if they fail to submit copies of their educational certificates within the time (May 31),” Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda told journalists yesterday.
As per the Representation of the People Order (RPO), candidacies of Salahuddin and Ruhul Amin were supposed to be cancelled as they did not submit attested copies of their educational certificates along with the applications seeking to contest the polls.
The returning officers however accepted their applications. Their rival candidates filed appeal with the EC challenging this.
Salauddin, who contested from Chittagong-2 constituency, mentioned in the affidavit signed by him that he had no educational qualification.
He gave incorrect information since he obtained BA (Hons) in political science from Punjab University in Pakistan. His educational qualification was mentioned in a book published by the parliament secretariat on the biography of lawmakers of eighth parliament.
Ruhul Amin, elected from Barisal-6 constituency, stated he obtained BA (Hons) in public administration from Dhaka University but he could not provide copy of his certificate as he had lost it.
During the hearing of the appeals, Salauddin pledged to submit copy of his certificate as soon as possible, EC officials said.
Similarly, Ruhul Amin also pledged to submit copy of his certificate as early as possible.
Talking to journalists on the EC Secretariat premises, the CEC said one must not give false information in the affidavit signed by him.
“By providing (attested) copy of certificate of educational qualification, a candidate has to prove what he claims in the affidavit,” Huda said.
According to Clause (3b) of Section 12 of the RPO, every nomination paper shall be delivered along with an affidavit singed by the candidate, which shall include a set of information and particulars including an attested copy of the certificate of his educational qualification.
A person shall be disqualified for election or for being a member of parliament if he does not comply with the provision along with other conditions stipulated in the RPO, it says.
EC officials said the commission did not cancel nomination papers of Salauddin and Ruhul Amin on grounds of 'doctrine of political necessity' as it sincerely tried to hold the national election.