ID :
29851
Wed, 11/12/2008 - 23:24
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/29851
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Interim admn sends list of graft convict politicians to EC
Dhaka, Nov 12 (PTI) Bangladesh's interim administration has sent a list of 103 graft convicted politicians to the Election Commission, who will be barred from contesting the upcoming December 18 General Elections.
"As sought earlier by the E.C., we sent them the list 103 people who have been convicted in the past two years on graft and other criminal charges under the Emergency Power Rules (E.P.R.)," a Home Ministry spokesperson told PTI.
Under E.P.R., people who are convicted of corruption by a trial court will be disqualified from contesting parliamentary and local government elections even if their appeals are pending with the higher court.
Election Commission officials said they would now send the list of E.P.R. convicts to the field level returning officers, who would scrutinise nominations and applications of candidates.
"We are also exploring ways to debar the bank and loan
defaulters from contending the polls under the R.P.O. (Representation of People Order)," an official said.
Soon after its installation with crucial military support following the January 11, 2007 proclamation of the state of emergency, the interim government launched a massive anti-graft campaign that saw the detention of nearly 200 high-profile people, mostly politicians.
Several former ministers and lawmakers of former prime
minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League and her archrival
Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (B.N.P.) fled the
country to evade arrest. However, many of them were tried and
convicted in absentia.
Hasina and Zia too were charged in several corruption
cases but are yet to be convicted.
According to newspaper reports, B.N.P. appeared to
have suffered the most due to the campaign as 40 of its
ex-lawmakers or prospective candidates have already been
convicted by the special graft courts.
The party has now set a pre-condition for its
participation in the election, demanding that its prospective
candidates who are convicted under the E.P.R. be allowed to
take part in the polls as their cases were pending with the
High Court for appeal hearing. PTI
"As sought earlier by the E.C., we sent them the list 103 people who have been convicted in the past two years on graft and other criminal charges under the Emergency Power Rules (E.P.R.)," a Home Ministry spokesperson told PTI.
Under E.P.R., people who are convicted of corruption by a trial court will be disqualified from contesting parliamentary and local government elections even if their appeals are pending with the higher court.
Election Commission officials said they would now send the list of E.P.R. convicts to the field level returning officers, who would scrutinise nominations and applications of candidates.
"We are also exploring ways to debar the bank and loan
defaulters from contending the polls under the R.P.O. (Representation of People Order)," an official said.
Soon after its installation with crucial military support following the January 11, 2007 proclamation of the state of emergency, the interim government launched a massive anti-graft campaign that saw the detention of nearly 200 high-profile people, mostly politicians.
Several former ministers and lawmakers of former prime
minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League and her archrival
Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (B.N.P.) fled the
country to evade arrest. However, many of them were tried and
convicted in absentia.
Hasina and Zia too were charged in several corruption
cases but are yet to be convicted.
According to newspaper reports, B.N.P. appeared to
have suffered the most due to the campaign as 40 of its
ex-lawmakers or prospective candidates have already been
convicted by the special graft courts.
The party has now set a pre-condition for its
participation in the election, demanding that its prospective
candidates who are convicted under the E.P.R. be allowed to
take part in the polls as their cases were pending with the
High Court for appeal hearing. PTI
