On request of the ruling Awami League, the Election Commission will review the related law to stop publishing the affidavits submitted by candidates of the January 5 elections.
“It is nothing new. The commission will review the law following the request made by the Awami League,” Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad told reporters yesterday evening.
The affidavits include the candidates’ wealth statements and academic information.
On Sunday, the Awami League requested the EC to stop publishing the affidavits on its website. A delegation of the party made the request in a meeting with the CEC.
Sources at the EC said former home minister Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir, who led the team, had asked Rakibuddin whether it was mandatory for the EC to publish the candidates’ affidavits or not.
“Alamgir mentioned that several reports had been published in media on the affidavits in the last few days. He said if it was not mandatory, the commission should stop publishing the affidavits,” an EC source said.
Rakibuddin then said disclosure of the affidavits had been mandatory as per the Representation of People Order (RPO).
Newspapers and television channels in the last couple of days published reports on the MP candidates from the ruling party leaders, some of who were MPs and ministers. The reports showed that many of them had amassed sizeable fortunes while in office during the last five years.
The EC started publishing affidavits in the 2008 parliamentary elections.
