Noman Mosharef :
The Election Commission (EC) is taking preparations to hold five big city corporation polls within October next, which many think as a test case to prove its capacity and neutrality before the national election.
The cities are Khulna, Rajshahi, Sylhet, Barisal and Gazipur.
The big political parties are reportedly working to select their candidates. Ruling Awami League, BNP and Jatiya Party’s aspirant candidates are now staying in their respective city corporation areas for lobbying their candidature.
The Election Commission had already sat with different political parties and civil rights group of the respective city corporations with a view to holding a free and fair city corporation polls.
Meanwhile, the EC has planed to conduct the Gazipur and Khulna city corporation polls before Ramzan while Sylhet, Barisal and Rajshahi corporations after Eid-ul-Fitr.
EC sources said, the tenure of Gazipur City Corporation will expire on September 4, 2018,
while Khulna city on September 25, Rajshahi city on October 5, Shylet city on October 8 and Barisal city on October 23.
According to the Local Government Act (City Corporation), election must be held before 180 days of expiring the tenure.
In this context, the EC has issued a letter to the Local Government Ministry to inform about the court order regarding boundary setting, word deviation and others.
As the part of preparation, the EC has published tender for paper, ballot box, ink, seal, etc. To complete the preparation, it also sent demand letter to the authorities for election centers, returning officers, assistant returning officers, polling officers and voter list.
The EC has also started to train up the employees. EC demanded Tk 1,200 crore to the Finance Ministry to complete all the procedure of the five cities and also the next Parliament elections.
EC Secretary Md Helal Uddin Ahmed told The New Nation, “We want to conduct five city corporation polls from May to October. The Election Commission demanded Tk 1,200 crore for conducting five city polls and to take preparation of the next Parliament election. After the sanction of the money we will start our work.”
Local EC employees have already started to complete the voter list and other information.
The printing work of various items in connection with the polls has already started. The Printing and Publication Department demanded Tk 35 crore from the Commission for printing purposes, sources said.
The sources said, at least 852 rims of paper will be needed for five city polls. EC has reserved only 333 rims paper. So, they have to collect the rest 519 rims.
The EC has to collect those papers within April if it wants to hold election before the month of Ramzan in two city corporations.
It is to be mentioned that the EC had stayed the polls of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) because of boundary setting problem. But now they are careful about the five city polls.
After the city polls, the EC’s main target is to conduct the next Parliament election. So, this city polls may be considered as the Parameter of their capability.
The Election Commission (EC) is taking preparations to hold five big city corporation polls within October next, which many think as a test case to prove its capacity and neutrality before the national election.
The cities are Khulna, Rajshahi, Sylhet, Barisal and Gazipur.
The big political parties are reportedly working to select their candidates. Ruling Awami League, BNP and Jatiya Party’s aspirant candidates are now staying in their respective city corporation areas for lobbying their candidature.
The Election Commission had already sat with different political parties and civil rights group of the respective city corporations with a view to holding a free and fair city corporation polls.
Meanwhile, the EC has planed to conduct the Gazipur and Khulna city corporation polls before Ramzan while Sylhet, Barisal and Rajshahi corporations after Eid-ul-Fitr.
EC sources said, the tenure of Gazipur City Corporation will expire on September 4, 2018,
while Khulna city on September 25, Rajshahi city on October 5, Shylet city on October 8 and Barisal city on October 23.
According to the Local Government Act (City Corporation), election must be held before 180 days of expiring the tenure.
In this context, the EC has issued a letter to the Local Government Ministry to inform about the court order regarding boundary setting, word deviation and others.
As the part of preparation, the EC has published tender for paper, ballot box, ink, seal, etc. To complete the preparation, it also sent demand letter to the authorities for election centers, returning officers, assistant returning officers, polling officers and voter list.
The EC has also started to train up the employees. EC demanded Tk 1,200 crore to the Finance Ministry to complete all the procedure of the five cities and also the next Parliament elections.
EC Secretary Md Helal Uddin Ahmed told The New Nation, “We want to conduct five city corporation polls from May to October. The Election Commission demanded Tk 1,200 crore for conducting five city polls and to take preparation of the next Parliament election. After the sanction of the money we will start our work.”
Local EC employees have already started to complete the voter list and other information.
The printing work of various items in connection with the polls has already started. The Printing and Publication Department demanded Tk 35 crore from the Commission for printing purposes, sources said.
The sources said, at least 852 rims of paper will be needed for five city polls. EC has reserved only 333 rims paper. So, they have to collect the rest 519 rims.
The EC has to collect those papers within April if it wants to hold election before the month of Ramzan in two city corporations.
It is to be mentioned that the EC had stayed the polls of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) because of boundary setting problem. But now they are careful about the five city polls.
After the city polls, the EC’s main target is to conduct the next Parliament election. So, this city polls may be considered as the Parameter of their capability.
