Verifying candidates’ affidavits should be mandatory

The fact that the Election Commission does not properly verify the wealth claims of aspiring candidates, despite having the means to do so, is absurd and raises a number of questions about its true allegiance. The EC could use its inherent powers and ask the National Board of Revenue and Anti-Corruption Commission to verify the authenticity of wealth statements submitted by aspiring candidates and their affidavits—in which lying is punishable by up to three years in prison under the criminal law. Ensuring that individuals who could potentially come to power are honest and have integrity is the least the EC can do.

Lying in such a scenario would be extremely concerning and should automatically disqualify a candidate from potentially getting elected. It would indicate that the candidate has no respect for the rule of law they are meant to uphold and be restrained by. It is a given that someone who would lie about that is even more likely to abuse power to acquire more. It is, therefore, essential for citizens to have authentic information on how much wealth a candidate has and how they came to acquire it.

The wealth of many of its candidates have surged exponentially and at a rate that is inconsistent with the state of the economy and the overall economic plight of the people at large. What this indicates is that politics has become an investment opportunity and a way of making fortune rather than a means to serve the people.

The fact that the EC has not ensured this over the years only raises scepticisms about whose interest it has been willing to serve.

Before coming to power, the Awami League in its 2008 manifesto pledged to "take effective steps against corruption" and that influential individuals would "have to disclose their annual wealth information" in a stern bid "to wipe out graft, unearned money, defaulted loans, extortion, tender manipulation, and muscle power." But since then, every time the party strengthened its grip on power, it distanced itself further and further from that pledge. Parallelly, the wealth of many of its candidates have surged exponentially and at a rate that is inconsistent with the state of the economy and the overall economic plight of the people at large. What this indicates is that politics has become an investment opportunity and a way of making fortune rather than a means to serve the people.

To put a stop to this, the EC must use every means available at its disposal to verify the wealth claims of candidates. A failure to do so only confirms its inability to serve the interest of the people and our democracy, over a handful of corrupt and powerful oligarchs.