The National Citizen Party (NCP), a newly-formed political party led by youths, on Thursday asked the Election Commission to extend the deadline for applying for party registration by at least 90 more days.
The newly formed party made this request in a written application submitted to the EC senior secretary on Thursday.
NCP joint conveners Mujahidul Islam Shahin and Tajnuva Zabin and its member Moniruzzaman went to the EC Secretariat to submit the application titled “Request for Extension of Deadline for Electoral Reform and Political Party Registration”.
On March 10, the Election Commission invited applications from the new political parties by April 20 next to get registered ahead of the next national election.
In the application, the NCP said the current EC issued a notification for political party registration on March 10 without making fundamental reforms and updating the existing laws.
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This hasty process of the notification before making reforms has sparked criticism in the country's political and social arenas, it said.
“The registration process needs to be started after bringing necessary amendments to the laws and rules in light of the recommendations made by the Electoral System Reform Commission,” the newly formed party said.
“In addition, it is also necessary to restructure the Election Commission, carry out registration of new political parties, and update the registration of existing registered parties in light of the fundamental reforms,” NCP said in the letter.
In this circumstances, the party requested that the application timeframe period for fundamental reforms related to the Election Commission and registration of new political parties be extended by at least 90 days.
The letter also said the previous Sheikh Hasina-led government and its subservient Election Commissions (EC) arranged the last three national elections through various irregularities, including electing members of parliament without votes, fake votes, and night voting within the framework of existing election laws.
Similarly, as per the instructions of Sheikh Hasina and her party, the commission also arranged controversial local government elections across the country under party symbols, it added.
“Within the existing legal framework, the Awami League government through the EC destroyed the electoral system and established fascism across the country,” said the NCP.
In such a situation, the students and the people of the country launched an anti-discrimination and anti-fascist movement and ultimately Sheikh Hasina was forced to flee, it went on.
The new party said the NCP was founded in light of the expectations of the masses in the wake of the historic July-August mass uprising.
Following the mass uprising, the interim government led by Prof Muhammad Yunus initiated various reform initiatives. A commission was also formed to reform the electoral system, it said.
Although this commission submitted a report with its recommendations to the authorities concerned, there has so far been no visible progress in the fundamental reform here, said the NCP in the letter.
The EC on March 10 issued a public notification seeking applications from the parties that are capable of fulfilling the registration conditions mentioned in the Political Party Registration Rules 2008.
New political parties are registered with the Election Commission in line with Article 90A of the Representation of the People Order, 1972.
If a party is registered with the EC, it can contest the national election with its own electoral symbol.