The Election System Reform Commission has proposed a series of recommendations, including the abolition of the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) system and the introduction of re-elections in constituencies where less than 40% of voters participate. The commission submitted a nine-page report to the Chief Adviser on Wednesday (January 15), led by Professor Ali Riaz, focusing on comprehensive electoral system reforms. On the same day, the Police Reform, Constitution Reform, and Anti-Corruption Commission Reform Commissions also submitted their recommendations.
The Constitution Reform Commission proposed key principles such as “equality, human dignity, social justice, pluralism, and democracy” as the core values of the state. The commission also emphasized ensuring effective democracy, fundamental human rights, and accountability in governance, with seven key areas prioritized for reform. The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Reform Commission, led by Dr. Iftekharuzzaman, recommended granting the ACC constitutional recognition and independence, along with 47 other reforms aimed at improving the commission’s functions, including the automation of complaint management, investigations, and prosecution processes.
The Police Reform Commission, led by Safar Raj Hossain, stressed the importance of prioritizing specialized police units such as CID, Cyber Crime, and biometric fingerprint identification in their respective roles.
The commission’s suggestions include reducing the age for parliamentary candidacy from 25 to 21, making referendums mandatory for constitutional amendments to prevent majority-based changes, and transitioning the national ID card to a digital format. A new Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) system is proposed to standardize the current ID card into a digital format.
In a bid to ensure fair and transparent elections, the commission also suggested the following measures:
- Preventing loan defaulters from contesting elections.
- Disqualifying individuals declared fugitives by the court from running for office.
- Repealing the provision in the Representation of People Order (RPO) which allows candidates in executive positions of private organizations to contest elections without resigning three years in advance.
- Making it mandatory for individuals convicted of moral crimes to be disqualified from contesting elections under Article 66(2)(g) of the Constitution.
Further proposals include:
- Establishing a law to bar candidates convicted under the ICT Act from contesting.
- Disqualifying individuals accused of serious human rights violations or corruption from running for office.
- Ensuring representation for youth, religious and ethnic minorities, and physically disabled individuals by allocating 10% nomination quotas.
The commission also proposed making the election process more inclusive and efficient, suggesting that independent candidates should require the support of 500 voters (instead of the current 1%) to be eligible for election.
Other key proposals:
- Abolishing the use of EVMs in elections.
- Including the Defense Ministry within the definition of law enforcement agencies during elections.
- Holding re-elections in constituencies where fewer than 40% of voters cast their ballots.
- Eliminating uncontested elections and introducing a “no-vote” provision for national elections, which would invalidate elections where “no-vote” wins.
Regarding election expenses, the commission recommended:
- Setting an electoral expenditure limit of 10 taka per voter.
- Managing all election expenses via banking systems or financial technologies such as mobile payment services.
- Closely monitoring election expenses by the Election Commission.
To address election-related complaints, the commission proposed establishing an Election Investigation and Judicial Committee with the authority to investigate and adjudicate election-related issues, including cases of electoral fraud. Furthermore, it recommended the creation of a Parliamentary Election Tribunal at the district level to reduce the burden on the High Court and expedite election-related cases.
The interim government will initiate the reform process following discussions with political parties on these recommendations.
