The Election System Reform Commission has recommended a 10% quota for religious and ethnic minorities, physically disabled individuals, and young people for nomination in national parliamentary elections.
In addition, the commission has proposed that instead of requiring 1% voter signatures, independent candidates must obtain the consent of 500 voters, with the consent being documented in a single or joint affidavit. Some stakeholders believe that this condition of voter affidavits may complicate the process for independent candidates rather than simplify it.
Among the 150 recommendations presented to the interim government on January 15, these two are included. Regarding the 10% quota for minorities, disabled individuals, and youth, Dr. Sabbir Ahmed, Professor of Political Science at Dhaka University, told Liberty News that it would be better not to call this a “quota.” He mentioned that sometimes minorities fail to secure a seat directly in elections, and even if they do, it might be just one or two seats. Therefore, having a 10% quota would enhance their representation. Regarding the inclusion of youth, he acknowledged that youth have been part of a significant movement, and this may encourage their participation in politics. He did not view it as discrimination and believed political parties could implement this proposal.
On the recommendation of requiring 500 voter affidavits for independent candidates, Dr. Sabbir Ahmed questioned why voters would need to provide affidavits when their National ID would suffice. He expressed concern that this requirement would complicate the process for independent candidates.
Dr. Samina Lutfa, Associate Professor of Sociology at Dhaka University, believes that there is a need for quotas for marginalized communities and does not see anything wrong with quotas. She said that while the youth issue could have been excluded, the political parties could have been urged to address it themselves.
Joint Convenor of the National Citizens’ Committee, Sarwar Tushar, described it as representation for youth, not a quota. He believed that the proposal to allow 21-year-olds to run for office, as suggested by the Constitutional Reform Commission, would naturally bring more youth into the political process. He thought a 5% quota would be sufficient rather than 10%. He also suggested that no conditions should be imposed on independent candidates but proposed that if an independent candidate fails to secure 1% of the vote in their first election, they should be disqualified from future candidacies.
Regarding the recommendation to add 500 voter affidavits for independent candidates, Dr. Mohammad Abdul Aleem, a member of the Election System Reform Commission, explained that sometimes independent candidates’ supporters may initially sign, but later withdraw their support due to various pressures or incentives. Therefore, the requirement for affidavits is intended to prevent this. He acknowledged that the implementation of voter affidavits might be complex and left the details to the Election Commission.
As for the 10% quota for various groups, Dr. Abdul Aleem clarified that the commission had not decided the exact allocation and that it would be up to the Election Commission to determine this.
LND/SAKIB
