Independent winners getting first chance to become opposition

The unofficial results of the 12th parliamentary election held on Sunday show that independent candidates won the second-highest number of seats together.  

It paves the way for them to become the opposition in the House.

According to the country’s Constitution, the second-most number of people winning a general election are considered an opposition party.   

Out of 298 constituencies, they came victorious in 62 seats with Awami League (AL) sealing its fourth straight win securing a whopping 222 constituencies. 

Jatiya Party (JP) led by GM Quader won 11 seats while three other candidates sealed as many seats with different symbols. 

The election to the Naogaon-2 seat was postponed after a candidate’s death and the Election Commission put on hold the election results in the Mymensingh-3 constituency after the voting in a centre was cancelled.

AKM Rahman, former additional attorney general, told TheReport.live that the successful independent candidates have the chance to become the main opposition in the parliament.  

“Moreover, in the current situation, every party losing the election has the same scope,” he said. 

If the independent candidates form an alliance 20-30 members and write to the speaker, the latter will proclaim them to be the opposition following the Rules of Procedure, Rahman said.

In that case, it is not necessary to name the opposition, added the jurist. 

And if the independent candidates fail to unite and do not raise the demand to become the opposition, the chance will automatically go to JP, Rahman said.

Echoing Rahman’s sentiment, former election commissioner Mohammad Shahnewaz said that the independent candidates can also join the three candidates who won with separate party symbols to become the opposition.  

On this front, Rahman said that in this case, the independent candidates will have to send a letter to the speaker detailing which party of candidate they exactly want to join. 

Once in the House, they will be allowed to function as the opposition while continuing respective party activities outside the parliament, said the former additional attorney general.

Law Minister Anisul Huq told journalists in Brahmanbaria on Monday that it cannot be confirmed who are going to be the opposition until the independent candidates float an alliance.  

Shahnewaz, also a retired sessions judge, said it is lawfully possible for the independent candidates to become the opposition party by forming an alliance. 

“But if they join any party (JP, Workers’ Party or Jasad), it would become the opposition,” he added.

The retired judge, however, argued that independent candidates may not eventually unite to become the opposition. 

“In this case, JP has the highest possibility to become the opposition,” he said.

The JP, which is simultaneously both a part of the current government and the main opposition in the House, will be in the opposition, Shahnewaz predicted. 

“Despite contesting the election as an ally of AL, JP did not lose its existence. It has its own identity as a party,” he added. 
He went on to say that independent candidates are basically the leaders or members of AL.

Maybe, this is why it will not be possible to materialize this (independent candidates becoming the opposition), he said. 

“AL may accept them. Duly, the independent candidates may not leave the party to become the opposition,” he concluded.