Incumbent members of parliament who want to run as independent candidates do not need to resign from their positions, the Election Commission said on Wednesday.
The commission issued a clarification on the matter in a press release after Election Commissioner Rashida Sultana earlier said current MPs who want to run as independent candidates must step down from their current positions - a statement that created confusion in the political arena.
Independent candidates must submit their nomination papers along with a list of signatures from 1% of the total voters in their constituencies, said the release.
However, if they have been a lawmaker before, they do not need to submit this list, said the release.