‘Check if political party charter contradicts constitution’

Women leaders of the country today urged the Election Commission to investigate whether the charter of any registered political party contradicts the constitution.

The registration of the political parties should be scrapped if their charter is contradictory to the country’s constitution, they said.

A total of 14 women leaders have joined the Election Commission’s ongoing electoral talks that started at Nirbachan Bhaban at 11:30am today. This is the first time that women leaders joined any dialogue with the EC.

Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda presided over the meeting.

A total of 13 women leaders attend the dialogue with the Election Commission on Monday, October 23, 2017. Photo: Mohammad Al-Masum Molla

“We came to know that many political parties told the commission to withdraw the clause of 33 percent female representation in the political party. We told the commission it is contradictory to the country’s constitution. If any party places such recommendations, the commission should check charter of that party and if it is contradictory to the country’s constitution, their registration should be scrapped,” Rokeya Kabir, executive director of Bangladesh Nari Progati Sangha (BNPS), told journalists.

Aroma Dutta, executive director of PRIP Trust (Private Rural Initiatives Program), said security measures should be taken to protect the vulnerable groups from electoral violence.

She said law enforcing agencies should be deployed in the vulnerable areas before polls and should be continued after a certain period of the polls.

Rina Sen Gupta of Naripokkho said she proposed for introducing “No Vote” in the polls.