Ganatantra Mancha calls for withdrawal of RPO amendment

Ganatantra Mancha called for the withdrawal of the Representation of the People Order (RPO) amendment on Saturday (8 July) at Rastra Sanskar Andolan's head office. 

Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh General Secretary Saiful Huq made the demand in a press conference. 

In a written statement, Saiful Huq said, "As per the provisions of the RPO, candidates earlier were required to pay all outstanding bills seven days before submitting their nomination papers. Now micro-loan, telephone, gas, electricity, and water outstanding bills can be paid a day before the nomination submission. This will increase the number of candidates unwilling to pay."

Due to these reasons, this amendment is not acceptable in any way. "We demand the withdrawal of this amendment as soon as possible," he said.  

Saiful Huq further said that the RPO bill amendment passed in the parliament reduced the Election Commission's ability to halt voting. According to RPO 91(Ka), the election commission could have halted the voting anytime they feel like the election will not be free and fair.

"Now this power has been limited to suspending polling only in some constituencies on polling days, not the entire parliamentary constituency, he added.

The 'Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill, 2023' was passed in Parliament on Tuesday (4 July) with the key amendment authorising the Election Commission to either postpone or cancel results, or voting of one or more polling stations in any number of constituencies on polling day, but not the entire election to a constituency.

As per the new provision, the Election Commission has been empowered to postpone or cancel the result of one or more than one polling station at any time during balloting (polling day) or ballot counting, due to the use of muscle power or any other reason.

But there is no provision for cancelling the entire election to a constituency in the proposed law- as done during the Gaibandha-5 by-election last October.