S M Mizanur Rahman :If the Election Commission (EC) fails to stop harassment by law enforcers of the candidates of city corporation elections, the poll will not be acceptable to all, experts said.”It is being alleged that the law enforcers are engaged in harassing a section of candidates of city corporation polls on plea of their involvement in criminals cases. It is the EC’s duty to stop such harassment,” former election commissioner M Sakhawat Hossain told The New Nation on Saturday. He said, as the credible elections must have a confidence of all stakeholders the EC will have to prove itself as neutral in conducting the upcoming city corporation polls.”When we were in EC, we had transferred all officers-in-chare (OCs) during Narayanganj city corporation polls there in a bid to hold free, fair and impartial elections,” he said. Local government expert Dr Tofayel Ahmed on Saturday told The New Nation that as prime minister Sheikh Hasina asked her cabinet members to obey the electoral code of conduct, EC would have to exercise its power against those who violate code of conducts.”On the basis of candidates’ allegations with evidences and news published in newspapers and covered in electronic media about harassment of candidates, the EC will have to take steps against them,” he said. Asked whether the EC would be able to prove itself neutral in this election, he said the EC is an independent and a constitutional body. It can also create a level playing field for all. BNP backed mayor and councilor candidates placed their various demands for creating a congenial environment and level-playing field for city corporation election.They also demanded release of opposition leaders and activists and all other political prisoners what they termed ‘facing ‘false’ cases’.
