Special Correspondent :
The legal complications centering Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) mayoral election are likely to be cleared soon while the government has directed the authorities concerned to arrange polls for councillors in 18 wards annexed to the corporation in July.
The Election Commission [EC], however, would announce its final decision in this regard within a few days.
“There is no legal complexity to hold this election. The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development has requested us to arrange polls for councillors in 18 wards. There is no barrier,” EC Acting Secretary Helaluddin Ahmed said on Sunday.
He was briefing newsmen at Election Bhaban in the city’s Agargaon area after holding a meeting with the law enforcement agencies over the security arrangement for the upcoming local government election in some areas on December 28.
“The LGRD Ministry has already published a gazette announcing the DNCC Mayor post vacant. The EC is not yet held any formal meeting over this issue. However, the EC will sit within 2/3 days to take decision on holding an election in DNCC,” Helaluddin Ahmed said.
The post of DNCC mayor fell vacant with the death of Annisul Huq on November 30. The EC has the legal obligation to complete the by-election within 90 days after the post fell vacant.
In 2015, the elections were held both in DNCC and Dhaka South City Corporation [DSCC] on the same day. There were 36 wards in the DNCC and 57 wards in DSCC.
On July 26 this year, the LGRD Ministry published a gazette notification with extending the territories of both DNCC and DSCC by attaching 16 neighbouring unions [eight for each].
Following the announcement, different mouzas of Badda, Bhatara, Satarkul, Uttarkhan, Dakkhin Khan, Faydabad, Nalvogh, Diabari and Kamarpara were included in the DNCC. Besides, some other mouzas of Shyampur, Kadamtoli, Matuail, Sarulia, Gazaria, and Nandipra went to the DSCC jurisdictions.
When the above issue was raised, Helaluddin Ahmed said, “The EC will hold talks with the LGRD Ministry apparently to take decision whether the DNCC mayor election to be held taking these 18 new wards, or excluding those. The decision will come within 1 / 2 days.”
After the expansion, the number of wards in the DNCC rose to 54 from 36 while women’s reserved seats rose to 18 from 12. In fact, the formation of DNCC will remain incomplete as long as elections are not held in the new wards.
Besides, the number of general wards in DSCC rose to 75 from 57 while women’s reserved seats rose to 25 from 19 after the annexation.
Local government expert Tofail Ahmed has recently cautioned that if voters in the new wards are not allowed to vote, their constitutional rights will be violated. “If so there may be legal complications. The aggravated persons may go to court challenging the entire election process,” he said.
As per the Local Government [City Corporation] Act, elections in at least 75 percent wards should be held in order to form a city corporation. In line with the act, the DNCC needs 54 elected representatives to meet this requirement while it has only 48 councillors, including 12 in women’s reserved seats.
The legal complications centering Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) mayoral election are likely to be cleared soon while the government has directed the authorities concerned to arrange polls for councillors in 18 wards annexed to the corporation in July.
The Election Commission [EC], however, would announce its final decision in this regard within a few days.
“There is no legal complexity to hold this election. The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development has requested us to arrange polls for councillors in 18 wards. There is no barrier,” EC Acting Secretary Helaluddin Ahmed said on Sunday.
He was briefing newsmen at Election Bhaban in the city’s Agargaon area after holding a meeting with the law enforcement agencies over the security arrangement for the upcoming local government election in some areas on December 28.
“The LGRD Ministry has already published a gazette announcing the DNCC Mayor post vacant. The EC is not yet held any formal meeting over this issue. However, the EC will sit within 2/3 days to take decision on holding an election in DNCC,” Helaluddin Ahmed said.
The post of DNCC mayor fell vacant with the death of Annisul Huq on November 30. The EC has the legal obligation to complete the by-election within 90 days after the post fell vacant.
In 2015, the elections were held both in DNCC and Dhaka South City Corporation [DSCC] on the same day. There were 36 wards in the DNCC and 57 wards in DSCC.
On July 26 this year, the LGRD Ministry published a gazette notification with extending the territories of both DNCC and DSCC by attaching 16 neighbouring unions [eight for each].
Following the announcement, different mouzas of Badda, Bhatara, Satarkul, Uttarkhan, Dakkhin Khan, Faydabad, Nalvogh, Diabari and Kamarpara were included in the DNCC. Besides, some other mouzas of Shyampur, Kadamtoli, Matuail, Sarulia, Gazaria, and Nandipra went to the DSCC jurisdictions.
When the above issue was raised, Helaluddin Ahmed said, “The EC will hold talks with the LGRD Ministry apparently to take decision whether the DNCC mayor election to be held taking these 18 new wards, or excluding those. The decision will come within 1 / 2 days.”
After the expansion, the number of wards in the DNCC rose to 54 from 36 while women’s reserved seats rose to 18 from 12. In fact, the formation of DNCC will remain incomplete as long as elections are not held in the new wards.
Besides, the number of general wards in DSCC rose to 75 from 57 while women’s reserved seats rose to 25 from 19 after the annexation.
Local government expert Tofail Ahmed has recently cautioned that if voters in the new wards are not allowed to vote, their constitutional rights will be violated. “If so there may be legal complications. The aggravated persons may go to court challenging the entire election process,” he said.
As per the Local Government [City Corporation] Act, elections in at least 75 percent wards should be held in order to form a city corporation. In line with the act, the DNCC needs 54 elected representatives to meet this requirement while it has only 48 councillors, including 12 in women’s reserved seats.
