The Election Commission (EC) has decided to end provision for candidates to be elected unopposed.

EC also said that if a constituency has only one candidate, they will still have to face a vote against a “no” option.

The decision was disclosed by EC Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah on Monday (August 11) following a commission meeting.

He said that in any constituency with a single candidate, the contender will no longer be elected without competition. In such cases, voters will be able to choose between the candidate and a “no” vote. The candidate will be declared elected only if they secure more votes than the “no” option.

Sanaullah said the definition of law enforcement agencies will also be amended to include the armed forces.

Responding to a question, the commissioner explained that if there is a single candidate in a constituency, a “no” vote will be held. If the “no” vote gets more ballots, a re-election will take place. If the re-election also has a single candidate, there will be no vote and that candidate will be declared elected.

The EC has taken the decision as part of amendments to the Representation of the People Order (RPO).

MSK/