The Election Commission may decide today the next course of action on registered political parties' probable failure to comply with the law and their own pledges to submit ratified party constitutions to the commission by July 25. A meeting of the EC will be held today on the matter upon Chief Election Commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda's return from abroad.

Before the ninth parliamentary elections political parties were asked to bring changes in their constitutions to ensure democratic practice and financial transparency within themselves--criteria for getting registered with the EC as parliamentary parties as per the Representation of the People Order.

After incorporating the changes the parties gave the commission legal undertakings, pledging that they will ratify their provisional constitutions and submit those to the commission within six months from the date of the ninth parliament's first sitting. Following the undertakings, the EC registered 39 political parties accepting the provisional changes.

As the new parliament began journey on January 25, it became mandatory for all the registered parliamentary parties to ratify the provisional changes in their constitutions and submit those to the EC on or before July 25.

However, once the election was over, the parties forgot their pledges and have not taken steps to hold party councils in over five months to ratify their constitutions with provisional changes. And now at the fag end of the stipulated deadline, they are seeking more time. But the EC has no jurisdiction to extend the timeframe without amending the Representation of the People Order.

The second session of parliament was prorogued on July 9 and the next session is likely to begin early September. So, if the government wants to amend the RPO, the president will have to promulgate an ordinance, which, if done, will be the first ordinance under the Awami League-led alliance government.

Meanwhile, in a hurried move the ruling AL has decided to hold its council on July 24 to ratify the provisional changes in its constitution. The main opposition BNP has stated that it will not be possible for it to hold party council within the timeframe.

The AL yesterday sent a letter to the EC, informing that it will not meet the commission today to seek time as per its earlier decision since the party later decided to submit its ratified constitution on July 24.

An AL delegation handed over the letter to Election Commissioner Muhammed Sohul Hussein, who is acting as the chief election commissioner in the absence of Shamsul Huda. A delegation of BNP is likely to meet the EC to discuss the issue. "We will have to extend the timeframe in line with the law," Sohul told reporters in reply to a query on BNP's plea for time extension.

Question has been raised if the EC can cancel a political party's registration if the party fails to submit its ratified constitution to the commission within the stipulated timeframe. The RPO does not have any provision for taking action against a registered party in such case.

The EC has already announced that it would ask political parties that will not submit their ratified constitutions within the timeframe to explain the failure. In the provisional changes in their constitutions, political parties de-linked front organisations of students, teachers and labourers of financial institutions, included provisions for electing parliamentary candidates through panels at the grassroots levels, etc.

-Daily Star