Bill on RPO amendment
A private member's bill was placed in the House yesterday seeking to amend the Representation of the People Order (RPO) over removing the bar on people willing to join a registered political party to contest the next parliamentary election.
A provision of the RPO says a person shall be disqualified if he, not being an independent candidate, has not been a member of a registered political party for three years.
The provision blocks the way for people willing to be new members of registered political parties as they will not be able to meet the three-year timeframe to qualify for contesting the next parliamentary polls.
It also blocked the way for an individual who plans to contest the next polls by leaving his present the party.
The next parliamentary election is scheduled at the end of 2013 or in January of 2014.
Jatiya Party lawmaker Mujib-ul Haque placed the bill, terming it “unconstitutional”.
The provision is discriminatory as it is applicable only to parties already registered with the Election Commission, not on those which will be before the next parliamentary polls, he said.
“There is no such precedence in a democratic country. Through this provision, country's citizens have been made subject to discrimination which is against their fundamental rights guaranteed by the constitution,” he said in a brief statement.
The bill was sent to the parliamentary standing committee on private members bills and resolutions for scrutiny.
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