BNP writes to EC with objection over RPO amendment

The BNP has written to the Election Commission objecting to the new rule making it mandatory for coalition candidates to contest polls under their own party’s electoral symbol.

The party wants to have the opportunity to allow coalition members to use any available electoral symbol they wish to.

BNP Chairperson’s Advisory Council member Md Ismail Zabiullah shared the information following the meeting with Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin on Sunday.

As Bangladesh moves closer to the 13th national elections in February, the Election Commission has entered the final stage of legal reforms by granting its approval to the amended Representation of the People Order by the Advisory Council.

The ordinance will take effect after the president’s signature, leaving only the finalisation of the code of conduct.

This year’s amendment to the electoral law introduces a series of significant changes. One of them is that coalition candidates must contest under their own party’s electoral symbol despite being part of an alliance.

The provision for registered political parties to contest elections under their own party symbol has been added to Article 20 of the RPO.

In the past, several small parties formed alliances with major parties, notified the EC of their approval, and contested the elections using the popular symbols of the major parties.

In such cases, despite not being a BNP or Awami League member, they won the elections using the rice sheaf and boat symbols. Now that the RPO has been amended, even if they form an alliance, candidates from allied parties will still have to contest under their own party symbol.

BNP National Standing Committee Member Salahuddin Ahmed had already raised objections regarding the RPO amendment.

Now, two days after the RPO amendment, a BNP delegation met the chief election commissioner (CEC) and formally raised the objection.

Former EC acting secretary Mohammad Zakaria, a member of BNP’s election affairs committee, was also present during the meeting.

Following the meeting with the CEC, Zabiullah said that the Advisory Council decided the contestants had to use their own party symbol despite being members of a larger alliance following the amendment of RPO Section 20.

“Like other parties, the BNP is also shocked by such an amendment. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party-BNP does not agree with this amendment. This amendment or change is not acceptable to the BNP. We have submitted a formal letter to the CEC requesting that the previous provisions of the RPO be retained and this amendment be withdrawn.”

After handing over the letter to the CEC, he said: “Different parties have already formed alliances based on their own considerations and contested the elections using the symbol of their own party or another party in the alliance. This is a democratic right.”

“In the past, there weren’t any complications over this. A political party demanding an amendment to the rules (RPO) is unheard of. However, in the context of the recommendations by this government’s reform commission, the BNP had already said that it does not agree with the change to Section 20. This has also been conveyed to the government and the National Consensus Commission.”

He said that the government had assured at the advisory level that no changes will be made to Article 20 of the RPO in this regard.

“But we were shocked by the sudden news of the new rule disallowing the use of elections under a party’s symbol despite the formation of an alliance.”

The BNP leader said that if allied political parties had the right to do politics as an alliance or to contest elections as an alliance, it is their democratic right to use the symbol of their own party or any allied party for elections as they wish.

“Therefore, we have requested the Election Commission to take the necessary measures to uphold the previous provisions of Section 20 in the RPO.”

“Today, a similar letter will also be delivered to the law advisor. We hope that the allied political parties will be able to hold elections with the symbol of their own party or any of the allied member parties.”