The Election Commission will decide soon on giving the political parties more time to submit audit reports for the year 2013 as 14 registered political parties including the ruling Awami League appealed for extension of the deadline.
By the stipulated time frame ended on July 31, only 26 small parties out of 40 turned in their audit reports.
The commission sent letters to the parties on June 16 asking them to submit the audit reports by July 31. But recently the Awami League sought time until September 1, BNP until August 14 while main opposition Jatiya Party until August 30.
The EC will make a decision on the matter in a full commission meeting, Commissioner Md Shah Newaz said yesterday. “The commission
is now examining the applications,” he added.
According to the Representation of the People Order, the registered political parties have to submit their annual audit reports – certified by a registered chartered accountant firm – by July 31 every year.
The RPO states that registration of a party will be cancelled if it fails to submit the audit reports for three consecutive years.
The EC, however, does not consider Jamaat-e-Islami as a registered political party since the High Court on August 1 last year declared its registration illegal.
An appeal against the verdict remains pending with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court.
