Staff Reporter :
The National Citizens Party (NCP) and 15 other new political parties have cleared the Election Commission’s (EC) primary selection process for registration, officials confirmed on Sunday.
Election Commission Additional Secretary Ali Newaz said the 16 parties have passed the preliminary verification and will next face a field investigation as part of the registration process.
EC officials confirmed, 145 parties submitted a total of 147 registration applications by the
22 June deadline. Initially, none met the primary criteria, prompting the commission to give these parties, including the NCP, a 15-day window, which closed on 3 August, to address shortcomings.
Under election law, a party seeking registration must have a central committee, committees in at least three districts and 100 upazilas, and documented support from 200 voters in each committee.
Additionally, parties that have previously had parliamentary representation or secured at least five percent of votes in the last election are deemed eligible. Other conditions and regulations also apply during the initial screening.
Following the preliminary selection, the Election Commission conducts on-site verification of the parties’ information, completes the final evaluation, and then issues a public notice inviting objections. If objections arise, hearings are held to resolve them. If none are received, the commission grants registration certificates.
Only registered parties can field candidates under their own symbols in elections.
