The Election Commission is planning to ensure what it termed as an “equal” opportunity for all registered political parties in conducting campaigns and election expenditures ahead of the next general elections.
Election Commissioner Md Shah Newaz said the procedures of the electoral code of conduct would be changed if needed to ensure a level playing field for all the parties.
According to the existing provisions of the constitution, if the upcoming elections are held under the incumbent government, there is no opportunity for the in-office ministers or state ministers to take part in election campaigns.
The Election Commission, however, is now planning to allow the ministers and state ministers of the incumbent government to take part in such campaigns during the general election.
According to a draft of the code of electoral conduct, each of the political parties, including the ruling one, will be allowed to form a 20-member panel consisting of leaders nominated by the party chief.
Those panels can conduct campaigns in all the 300 constituencies around the country. The panels of all political parties, including the government’s panel, will get an equal share of government facilities and protection during the campaign. The change that will take place is in allowing ruling party ministers and state ministers to be part of that panel. There are currently 38 registered political parties in the EC’s list.
However, according to the draft, if an incumbent minister or state minister wants to conduct a campaign in the constituency that he or she is contesting in, he or she will have to do it without state facilities.
According to the proposed arrangements, the political parties will have to submit a list of the 20 leaders to the commission and strictly follow that list.
The previous code of conduct did not have any provision for any such panels.
In order to create a “level playing field” ahead of the elections, the draft also proposes to fix Tk2.5m as the maximum that a candidate can spend for campaigns.
Election Commissioner Md Shah Newaz expressed anger over reports published in the media that claimed that only the ruling party would be allowed to form “campaign panels” and were entitled to enjoy government protections.
The commissioner, however, said the draft was yet to be discussed in detail, in a meeting of the commission but they had plans to raise the agenda very soon.
As per the 15th amendment to the constitution, the next parliamentary elections will be held under a partisan government from now on.
Article 123(3) of the constitution, states that elections must take place within 90 days of dissolving parliament.
On that count, the next general polls must be held anytime between October 26, 2013 and January 24, 2014.
