Spending limits set to double after 15yrs
The Election Commission (EC) has proposed raising candidate deposits and election spending limits for Union Parishad (UP) elections, nearly 15 years after the existing limits were introduced.
Under the proposal, the nomination deposit for a UP chairman candidate will increase fivefold, from Tk 5,000 to Tk 25,000, while the deposit for general and reserved-seat member candidates will rise from Tk 1,000 to Tk 5,000.
The EC has also proposed doubling the election spending limits.
A chairman candidate will be allowed to spend up to Tk 10 lakh, while the proposed limit for a member candidate is Tk 2 lakh.
Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud told the media on Wednesday that the commission had sent proposed amendments to the Ministry of Local Government to revise the Local Government (Union Parishad) Election Rules.
“We have sent some proposed amendments to the Local Government (Union Parishad) Election Rules to the ministry,” he said.
Single spending limit proposed
The commission has proposed combining candidates’ personal and election expenses, which are currently set separately, into a single spending limit.
Under the existing rules, a chairman candidate can spend Tk 50,000 on personal expenses and Tk 5 lakh on election expenses. The EC has proposed a combined spending ceiling of Tk 10 lakh.
For member candidates, the existing limits are Tk 10,000 for personal expenses and Tk 1 lakh for election expenses. The commission has proposed raising the combined ceiling to Tk 2 lakh.
The commission has also proposed changes to the rule on forfeiture of deposits.
Under the existing provision, a candidate’s deposit is forfeited if they fail to secure one-eighth of the total votes cast. The EC has proposed raising the threshold to 15 percent of the votes cast.
Rules dating back to 2008
The UP election rules were first issued in 2008 under the Local Government Ordinance during the military-backed caretaker government.
Parliament enacted the Local Government (Union Parishad) Election Act in 2009, and the Local Government (Union Parishad) Election Rules were introduced in 2010 under the law.
The rules have been amended several times over the years. However, the EC is proposing to increase candidate deposits and spending limits for the first time.
The proposal comes after the commission made similar changes to spending and deposit requirements for the 13th parliamentary election held on February 12.
For that election, the candidate deposit was increased from Tk 20,000 to Tk 50,000. The spending ceiling was also revised, allowing candidates to spend more than Tk 25 lakh based on a limit of Tk 10 per voter.
‘Both positive and negative sides’
Abdul Alim, a member of the Election System Reform Commission formed during the interim government, welcomed the EC’s move but said it could have both positive and negative consequences.
“There are positive aspects to increasing the deposit and spending limits. The value of money has declined considerably compared with the past. In that sense, increasing the amount is reasonable,” said the election analyst.
“However, many good candidates cannot contest elections because of financial constraints, even though they are acceptable figures in their communities.
So, there are both positive and negative sides to this,” he added.
Abdul Alim also urged the EC to closely monitor election spending to prevent candidates from exceeding the proposed limits.
21 amendments proposed
The commission, led by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, has been pursuing several reforms in local government elections while keeping them aligned with changes made for parliamentary elections.
The EC has already issued a new code of conduct for local government elections.
As part of the latest reform process, the commission has sent the government 21 proposed amendments to the existing Local Government (Union Parishad) Election Rules.
The proposals include both substantive changes and minor clerical amendments.
