UNB, Dhaka :
The Election Commission finds itself in a bind over complexities related to the election rules and code of conduct for the countrywide municipal election, that it had to arrange in a short time anyway.
The Commission amended the Local Government (Municipality) Election Rules and the Municipality (Election Code of Conduct) Rules hurriedly without taking opinion from registered political parties, despite the local body election being slated to be held along party lines.
Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad on November 24 announced the election schedule for 234 municipalities out of the country’s 323 fixing December 30 next for ballot.
In the hurried move, the Commission incorporated some controversial provisions in the new election rules and the code of conduct, which are now causing complexities.
Both the rules and code were amended within a couple of days in line with the Local Government (Municipality) (Amendment) Act 2015 that
was passed in Parliament on November 19.
As per the new code of conduct, alongside ministers and the persons holding equivalent posts, city corporation mayors and MPs are also not allowed to participate in election activities and campaign during the municipal polls.
The provision is drawing controversy as the status of city corporation mayors is yet to be defined, while MPs hold no office of profit.
Besides, a provision was incorporated in the election rules that states no political party can provide its nomination to more than one candidate in each municipality.
This provision also invited criticism as in case of rejection of nomination paper of a single candidate from a political party, the party will have no alternative candidate to participate in the particular municipality.
It is now being said that the ruling Awami League is going to request the Commission to allow the MPs’ participation in the election activities.
Assistant secretary of the central sub-committee of Awami League Advocate ABM Reazul Kabir Kawser said, “A delegation of our party will place a letter to the Election Commission today (Sunday) so that MPs can take part in the election activities.”
Asked whether there will be a request to the commission for permitting city corporation mayors in electioneering, he told UNB, “There may be as the status of the mayors is not defined.”
About AL’s probable request, Election Commissioner Md Zabed Ali on Saturday said, “If they place any request, we must discuss it and take a decision.”
He, however, did not reply to the query whether the election rules and the code of conduct should be changed now after announcement of the schedule.
BNP, another major party, has demanded deferment of the municipal polls by 15 days arguing that the gap between the schedule announcement and the time allowed for nomination submission is only 10 days, which is very little for political parties to finalise candidates.
Besides, the party argued that if the election is held in January next, some 50 lakh fresh voters will be able to exercise their franchise in the polls.
Besides, Bangladesh Workers Party, a component of ruling alliance, has urged the Commission to defer the polls terming the timeframe stipulated in the election schedule for submitting the nomination papers insufficient as this is the first time that partisan municipality elections are going to be held in Bangladesh.
But the election commissions turned down any possibility of changing the election schedule saying that it is not possible to arrange the polls in January next as the Commission will remain busy with voter list updating works.
During the announcement of election schedule, the CEC also admitted they had to amend the rules and codes hurriedly as they did not know earlier over the amendment of the municipality act.
“We’ve come to learn it from newspapers. We have come to know about the changes after the law was passed. We’ve done it hurriedly as we have many tasks to do,” he said replying to a question.
The Election Commission finds itself in a bind over complexities related to the election rules and code of conduct for the countrywide municipal election, that it had to arrange in a short time anyway.
The Commission amended the Local Government (Municipality) Election Rules and the Municipality (Election Code of Conduct) Rules hurriedly without taking opinion from registered political parties, despite the local body election being slated to be held along party lines.
Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad on November 24 announced the election schedule for 234 municipalities out of the country’s 323 fixing December 30 next for ballot.
In the hurried move, the Commission incorporated some controversial provisions in the new election rules and the code of conduct, which are now causing complexities.
Both the rules and code were amended within a couple of days in line with the Local Government (Municipality) (Amendment) Act 2015 that
was passed in Parliament on November 19.
As per the new code of conduct, alongside ministers and the persons holding equivalent posts, city corporation mayors and MPs are also not allowed to participate in election activities and campaign during the municipal polls.
The provision is drawing controversy as the status of city corporation mayors is yet to be defined, while MPs hold no office of profit.
Besides, a provision was incorporated in the election rules that states no political party can provide its nomination to more than one candidate in each municipality.
This provision also invited criticism as in case of rejection of nomination paper of a single candidate from a political party, the party will have no alternative candidate to participate in the particular municipality.
It is now being said that the ruling Awami League is going to request the Commission to allow the MPs’ participation in the election activities.
Assistant secretary of the central sub-committee of Awami League Advocate ABM Reazul Kabir Kawser said, “A delegation of our party will place a letter to the Election Commission today (Sunday) so that MPs can take part in the election activities.”
Asked whether there will be a request to the commission for permitting city corporation mayors in electioneering, he told UNB, “There may be as the status of the mayors is not defined.”
About AL’s probable request, Election Commissioner Md Zabed Ali on Saturday said, “If they place any request, we must discuss it and take a decision.”
He, however, did not reply to the query whether the election rules and the code of conduct should be changed now after announcement of the schedule.
BNP, another major party, has demanded deferment of the municipal polls by 15 days arguing that the gap between the schedule announcement and the time allowed for nomination submission is only 10 days, which is very little for political parties to finalise candidates.
Besides, the party argued that if the election is held in January next, some 50 lakh fresh voters will be able to exercise their franchise in the polls.
Besides, Bangladesh Workers Party, a component of ruling alliance, has urged the Commission to defer the polls terming the timeframe stipulated in the election schedule for submitting the nomination papers insufficient as this is the first time that partisan municipality elections are going to be held in Bangladesh.
But the election commissions turned down any possibility of changing the election schedule saying that it is not possible to arrange the polls in January next as the Commission will remain busy with voter list updating works.
During the announcement of election schedule, the CEC also admitted they had to amend the rules and codes hurriedly as they did not know earlier over the amendment of the municipality act.
“We’ve come to learn it from newspapers. We have come to know about the changes after the law was passed. We’ve done it hurriedly as we have many tasks to do,” he said replying to a question.
