UNB, Dhaka :
Despite no major preoccupation throughout 2014 following the January 5 parliamentary elections, the Election Commission failed to arrange the long-overdue elections to the bifurcated Dhaka City Corporation.
Experts said, the Election Commission (EC), the constitutional body responsible for arranging polls, played a silent role in the matter of elections to the capital’s two city corporations, in the absence of a green signal from the government.
In their observation, instead of a proactive role to arrange the polls to Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) and Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), the EC was seen biding its time throughout the year on the pretext of delimitation of the boundaries of the two corporations as set by the government.
After getting the government’s positive signal towards the end of the year, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmed said the commission had long been ready for the election.
On December 9, the CEC remarked that provided the complexities over delimitation were resolved, the EC would initiate the process to arrange the polls soon.
The previous day, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at a cabinet meeting reportedly asked the authorities concerned to arrange the overdue elections.
The CEC, however, ruled out the possibility of arranging the polls in January, as the process for updating voter lists would be underway at the time.
In fact, it will not be possible to arrange the elections before March, as the SSC examinations will be held throughout February, said EC officials.
Experts said, the inability of the EC to act independently of the executive branch of government lay behind the lack of any initiative from them to arrange the DCC polls, other than several requests to the Local Government Ministry to resolve the demarcation complexity.
Elections expert Dr Tofail Ahmed said the commission had the scope to play a proactive role, but seemed apathetic about it.
“The Election Commission played hide-and-seek about the elections.
Their work was sensitive to the government’s attitude,” he told UNB.
On April 9, 2012, CEC Rakibuddin announced the election schedules for the split DCC, fixing the following May 24 as polling date. But a writ petition stalled the election process midway.
The court finally quashed the legal bar to the election on May 13, 2013, but fresh complexities arose when the Local Government Ministry proposed to extend the boundaries of two corporations incorporating some new areas, including Sultanganj Union.
Tofail Ahmed said, since the court cleared the way to arrange the polls, the commission could have gone to the court seeking solution to the complexities.
Saying that not giving elections to any local government body after a stipulated time is a violation of the Constitution, he said, “Why didn’t they go to the court seeking explanation of laws about the overdue DCC elections?”
Dr Ahmed also blamed the government over keeping the two corporations without elections for so long.
Former adviser to the caretaker government M Hafizuddin Khan said the commission has been silent about the arrangement of the election as the government did not want it.
“The role of the Election Commission is questionable. If there’s a will, there’s a way,” Hafizuddin added.
Sharmin Murshed, Chief Executive of Brotee, a non-government organisation working on elections, said the DCC elections should have been arranged long ago. “The Election Commission lacked seriousness. It should have been sincere for the elections.”
The last elections to the integrated DCC was held on April 25, 2002 and the five-year tenure of its elected body expired on May 14, 2007.
On November 29, 2011, the government split DCC into two bodies -DSCC comprised of 57 wards and DNCC comprised of 36.
Despite no major preoccupation throughout 2014 following the January 5 parliamentary elections, the Election Commission failed to arrange the long-overdue elections to the bifurcated Dhaka City Corporation.
Experts said, the Election Commission (EC), the constitutional body responsible for arranging polls, played a silent role in the matter of elections to the capital’s two city corporations, in the absence of a green signal from the government.
In their observation, instead of a proactive role to arrange the polls to Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) and Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), the EC was seen biding its time throughout the year on the pretext of delimitation of the boundaries of the two corporations as set by the government.
After getting the government’s positive signal towards the end of the year, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmed said the commission had long been ready for the election.
On December 9, the CEC remarked that provided the complexities over delimitation were resolved, the EC would initiate the process to arrange the polls soon.
The previous day, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at a cabinet meeting reportedly asked the authorities concerned to arrange the overdue elections.
The CEC, however, ruled out the possibility of arranging the polls in January, as the process for updating voter lists would be underway at the time.
In fact, it will not be possible to arrange the elections before March, as the SSC examinations will be held throughout February, said EC officials.
Experts said, the inability of the EC to act independently of the executive branch of government lay behind the lack of any initiative from them to arrange the DCC polls, other than several requests to the Local Government Ministry to resolve the demarcation complexity.
Elections expert Dr Tofail Ahmed said the commission had the scope to play a proactive role, but seemed apathetic about it.
“The Election Commission played hide-and-seek about the elections.
Their work was sensitive to the government’s attitude,” he told UNB.
On April 9, 2012, CEC Rakibuddin announced the election schedules for the split DCC, fixing the following May 24 as polling date. But a writ petition stalled the election process midway.
The court finally quashed the legal bar to the election on May 13, 2013, but fresh complexities arose when the Local Government Ministry proposed to extend the boundaries of two corporations incorporating some new areas, including Sultanganj Union.
Tofail Ahmed said, since the court cleared the way to arrange the polls, the commission could have gone to the court seeking solution to the complexities.
Saying that not giving elections to any local government body after a stipulated time is a violation of the Constitution, he said, “Why didn’t they go to the court seeking explanation of laws about the overdue DCC elections?”
Dr Ahmed also blamed the government over keeping the two corporations without elections for so long.
Former adviser to the caretaker government M Hafizuddin Khan said the commission has been silent about the arrangement of the election as the government did not want it.
“The role of the Election Commission is questionable. If there’s a will, there’s a way,” Hafizuddin added.
Sharmin Murshed, Chief Executive of Brotee, a non-government organisation working on elections, said the DCC elections should have been arranged long ago. “The Election Commission lacked seriousness. It should have been sincere for the elections.”
The last elections to the integrated DCC was held on April 25, 2002 and the five-year tenure of its elected body expired on May 14, 2007.
On November 29, 2011, the government split DCC into two bodies -DSCC comprised of 57 wards and DNCC comprised of 36.
