EC for dropping women participation provision in party from RPO
The Election Commission has taken a move to drop the provision of 33 per cent women participation in all committees of political parties from the Representation of the People Order 1972.
The commission has taken the move in a situation when almost all 41 registered parties have been failed to ensure 33 per cent of women participation in their committees by 2020 that made mandatory by RPO for saving registration of a party with the EC, the commission officials told New Age.
They said in a commission meeting held on Monday at Nirbachon Bhavan chaired by the chief election commissioner KM Nurul Huda they also discussed to enact a new law into political party registration splitting it form the RPO.
About the matter, EC secretary M Alamgir told New Age that no decision yet to be taken at the meeting in this regard though the commission was working to enact a new law into the registration of the political party.
He said that the commission would make it final after discussing the stakeholders, including political parties.
The EC officials also said that the commission also decided to change the name of the Representation of the People Order 1972 as the Representation of the People Act.
In the last council of Awami League, amending constitution the party extended its target year for filling at least 33 per cent of all committee positions with women from 2020 to 2021.
The law–enacted in 1972–stipulates that all registered political parties must fulfil at least 33 per cent of all committee positions with women by 2020.
According to EC officials, 38 of the 41 political parties registered with the commission are yet to fill 20 per cent their committee positions with women though the law requires them to do so by 2020.
Women are still heavily underrepresented in the committees of all political parties, according to different rights groups and official data.
News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net
