The Election Commission (EC) has identified six key deficiencies in the registration application submitted by the National Citizen Party (NCP) seeking recognition as a political party. Following preliminary scrutiny, the EC issued a letter directing the party to rectify these issues and submit proper documentation by August 3.
The commission noted the party failed to provide a complete list of all operational district offices with addresses, with particular discrepancies found in the rental agreements for Dhaka and Sylhet district offices which omitted the party’s name.
Furthermore, the application lacked a full listing of upazila and thana offices with addresses, while 25 upazilas/thanas failed to meet the minimum requirement of 200 voter members. Specific documentation problems were found in Kishoreganj’s Itna Upazila office rental agreement which excluded the party’s name, and Mymensingh’s Haluaghat Upazila office agreement which contained neither the party’s name nor office address.
Regarding financial and administrative matters, the EC observed that the application contained no mention of the party’s fund amount, with the attached financial statement similarly omitting this crucial detail.
Additionally, the copy of the executive committee’s registration resolution was found unsigned on its final page. The commission also highlighted constitutional shortcomings, noting the party’s constitution lacks provisions for candidate nomination by the central parliamentary board from prepared panels of ward, union, thana, upazila or district committee members.
Perhaps most significantly, the NCP failed to include mandatory certifications confirming that its documents and activities comply with constitutional requirements and that no members stand convicted under either the Collaborators (Special Tribunal) Order 1972 or the International Crimes (Tribunal) Act 1972.
With 144 parties including the NCP having applied for registration ahead of the national elections, the EC maintains strict verification procedures. After initial review, parties typically receive 15 days to address deficiencies before facing field-level verification of submitted information.
NCP Senior Joint Convener Ariful Islam Adib confirmed receipt of the EC’s letter, assuring that all required information would be submitted within the given timeframe. The commission had issued similar notices to several other parties last Thursday as part of its standard review process.