EC to meet after reform talks with Consensus Commission, focus on RPO amendment, poll laws

The meeting agenda includes proposed amendments to the Representation of the People Order

The Election Commission (EC) has called a key meeting to discuss a series of proposed amendments to electoral laws, a day after holding its first formal meeting with the National Consensus Commission on implementing urgent electoral reforms.

The EC’s upcoming session, its eighth commission meeting, will focus on the draft amendment to the Representation of the People Order (RPO), changes to the Election Commission Secretariat Act, revisions to the 1991 Election Officers (Special Provisions) Act, and the finalisation of candidate affidavits, among other matters.

The meeting, to be chaired by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin, will also review administrative and financial powers of Secretariat officials.

All four election commissioners, the EC secretary, and senior staff will be in attendance, according to Md Shariful Alam, EC public relations chief.

The move follows a round of intensified activity around the electoral reform process, especially concerning recommendations from the commission on Electoral System Reform, one of six bodies formed under the interim government following the ousting of the Awami League on Aug 5 through a mass uprising.

On Tuesday evening, for the first time since the reform process began, the EC sat down with the Consensus Commission at its conference room to exchange views on implementing what the reform body has described as "urgently actionable" items.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Consensus Commission said the meeting discussed the progress of implementing key recommendations and exchanged views on relevant issues tied to electoral reform.

CEC Nasir, Election Commissioner Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah, and Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed represented the EC at the talks.

The Consensus Commission delegation included Vice-Chairman Ali Riaz, members Badiul Alam Majumdar, Justice Md Emdadul Haque, Iftekharuzzaman, Safar Raj Hossain, Md Ayub Mia, and the Chief Advisor’s Special Assistant Monir Haider.

REFORM ITEMS IN SPOTLIGHT

In February, all six reform commissions submitted their final reports. In March, the Cabinet Division sought opinions from a dozen ministries on 121 “immediately actionable” recommendations made by five of the commissions, nine of which came from the Electoral System Reform Commission.

These include proposed amendments to:

• The Representation of the People Order (RPO)

• The Election Commission Secretariat Act

• The Election Officers (Special Provisions) Act

• Guidelines for election observers and media

• Codes of conduct for political parties and candidates

• Draft formats for affidavits of candidates

• Compilation of voter lists, including overseas voters

• Postal ballot mechanisms

• Transparency in political and election financing

• Promotion of integrity and good governance in the electoral process

The EC’s Thursday meeting is expected to begin internal deliberations on finalising legal changes and policy revisions ahead of the 13th parliamentary election.

The EC’s engagement with the Consensus Commission also comes amid parallel dialogues between political parties and the commission to build agreement on the path to the next election.

A recent joint declaration, issued following a London meeting between BNP’s Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman and the chief advisor, hinted that the next national polls may be scheduled for the week before Ramadan in 2026, subject to the completion of all preparatory steps.