State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Zakir Hossain, a lawmaker from Kurigram-4, collected a nomination form from the Roumari Upazila election office Tuesday afternoon to contest the upcoming 12th national parliament election against the Awami League-nominated candidate Biplab Hasan.
Like Zakir Hossain, a total of 71 ruling party lawmakers from the 11th parliament were dropped from the party nomination list this time. A significant number of these lawmakers are preparing to contest the polls as independent candidates.
Others who were denied nominations by the Awami League are also preparing to contest the polls.
However, Awami League policymakers are saying they will not allow everyone from their party to contest the election as independent candidates against the party candidates. There are growing concerns about how the Awami League will control all the mushrooming independent candidates at the last moment.
While talking to reporters on Tuesday, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said although the party is encouraging independent or dummy candidates, the independent candidacies will not be “freestyle.”
“The issue of dummy candidates or independent candidates will be clear. But independent candidacies will not be freestyle,” Quader said.
Earlier, in a meeting with party nomination seekers, Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on November 26 said that party leaders and workers can run as independent candidates or dummy candidates.
The Awami League president also warned that action would be taken against anyone who is elected unopposed.
Several Awami League leaders told this correspondent that the speech means the prime minister wants competitive polls.
In the 10th national parliament election held in 2014, when the BNP boycotted the polls on the last day, 154 MPs were elected unopposed, drawing huge criticism at home and abroad.
“That’s why this time Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina gave these instructions to all her party nomination seekers,” a ruling party leader said.
After that announcement, when Awami League candidates observed that more than 100 new faces got party nominations and 71 current MPs were dropped from the nomination list, a lot of candidates who were deprived of party nominations announced their intention to fight as independent candidates, with some of them having collected nomination papers already.
Many Awami League leaders occupying party posts and some current members of parliament have announced that they will be independent candidates. There is confusion about what the position of the party will be regarding these candidates.
While talking to Dhaka Tribune Tuesday night, Awami League Presidium member Abdur Rahman said: “There is misinformation that has been sparked by some news media and social media that the election is open, and anyone can contest. But this is not right. Those who are spreading this message are misunderstanding the prime minister's message. The message that the Awami League president emphasizes is that no one can be elected unopposed.”
“The party will take disciplinary action against the rebel candidates, those who will contest against the party candidates,” added Abdur Rahman, who has received the party nomination for Faridpur-1 this time and is facing a rebel candidate in his constituency.
“There are differences between dummy, rebel, and independent candidates,” Abdur Rahman further added.
Awami League Organizing Secretary SM Kamal Hossain told Dhaka Tribune: “Awami League leaders and activists should follow the directives of Awami League President Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ahead of the national polls. I have heard that ministers and MPs who have been dropped from the party nomination list will not be allowed to take part in the polls.”
Anonymously, members belonging to the Awami League top brass said the ruling party would decide the final candidates list at the last moment, before the nomination paper withdrawal deadline. By this time,the Awami League will also fix some seats for its electoral alliances.
The Awami League will not allow independent or rebel candidates in every constituency, they added.
The last day of withdrawal of candidature is December 18.
Who are the rebel candidates?
More than a hundred candidates from the Awami League made announcements in the last two days that they will contest the next poll as independent candidates.
Independent candidates include Sunamganj-1 MP Moazzem Hossain Ratan, Dhaka-13 MP Sadek Khan, Sylhet-1 Constituency Former Awami League Organizing Secretary Misbah Uddin Siraj, Awami League central subcommittee member Moniruzzaman Monir from Jhalkathi-1, Dhaka-2 Keraniganj Upazila Parishad Chairman Shaheen Ahmed, Dhaka-19 former Member of Parliament Talukdar Mohammad Tauhid Jung (Murad), Rajbari-1 Sadar Upazila Chairman Imdadul Haque Biswas, Chittagong-8 (Boalkhali-Chandgaon) constituency Abduch Chalam, former chairman of Chittagong Development Authority (CDA), in Chittagong-15 (Satkania-Lohagara) Constituency Satkania Upazila Awami League President and former Upazila Chairman MA Motaleb, Shamsul Haque Chowdhury MP from Chittagong-12, Former FBCCI President AK from Faridpur-3, Journalist Arifur Rahman Dolan from Faridpur-1, former State Minister Dr. Murad Hasan from Jamalpur-4, Actress Mahia Mahi from Rajshahi-1, Former member of Parliament Raihanul Haque Raihan in Rajshahi-6, Barrister Suman in Habiganj-4, and Abdul Mazid Khan, three-term Awami League MP of Habiganj-2, are the notable independent candidates so far.
What the law says about independent candidates
Political parties can nominate more than one candidate for each seat in the upcoming 12th national parliamentary election, said an election commission official.
However, once the party nomination is submitted to the returning officer, no candidate can be elected as an individual. Only the party or alliance that gives the final nomination before the withdrawal of nomination can contest the election as a candidate.
Nomination papers of other candidates of the party or coalition in that seat will be automatically cancelled. As a result, party nominees will no longer be eligible to become rebel candidates.
In this case, if someone wants to be elected, he has to go beyond the decision of the party and submit the nomination as an individual.
Registered political parties are empowered to prevent rebel or independent candidates according to the Representation of the People Order (RPO), which was implemented 10 years ago, said an election commission insider.
Former Election Commissioner Rafiqul Islam told Dhaka Tribune the extensive powers given to the top-level leaders of the registered political parties in the selection of candidates in Article 16(2) of the RPO made party leaders lose the opportunity to become independent candidates after being deprived of the party nomination.
“It can be said that the chance of becoming an independent candidate from the party decreased,” he added.
Regarding party MPs contesting the polls as independent candidates, Election Commissioner Rasheda Sultana said that party MPs have to resign, and only then can they participate in the election as independent candidates.
