UNB, Dhaka :Independent mayoral aspirants need to collect the signatures of 100 voters of their respective municipalities to contest the upcoming municipal polls as per a draft electoral rule.The Election Commission has drafted the Local Government (Municipality) Election Rules incorporating a provision for independent mayoral aspirants to file signatures of 100 voters during the submission of the nomination papers.The EC’s move came as Parliament passed the much-hyped ‘Local Government (Municipality) (Amendment) Bill 2015’ on Thursday, paving the path for arranging the election only to the mayoral post of the country’s municipalities on partisan basis.With the passage of the bill, election to the mayoral post of each municipality will be held with candidates nominated by political parties registered with the Election Commission and independent contestant. The candidates nominated by different parties will contest the polls with respective party symbol.However, councillor aspirants will not require filing signature of voters as the polls to the remaining councillor posts, including reserve seats for women, of the municipalities will be held in non-partisan manners in the existing system according to the bill.”An independent mayoral candidate will require to have the signatures of 100 voters while submitting their nominations and no councillor candidate will need to submit the signatures of voters as the election to councillor posts will be held in a non-partisan manner,” said Election Commission Secretary Sirajul Islam.Following the passage of the bill amending the Local Government (Municipality) Act 2009, the commission needs to change the election rules and the code of conduct regarding the municipality.The proposed rules and code of conduct will be sent to the Law Ministry for vetting on Sunday, the EC Secretary told UNB.”We want the ministry to complete the vetting of the rules and the code of conduct on Sunday next so that we can announce the schedule for municipal election early this week, or else, the polls cannot be arranged by December 30 next,” he said.About the proposed municipal (code of conduct) rule, Sirazul Islam said the commission did not remove the existing provision that banned the participation of the persons enjoying government privileges (including Speaker, Minister, state minister, deputy ministers and equivalent persons) in election campaign.The Election Commission is mulling to arrange polls to some 240 municipalities of the country’s 324 ones by December 30 next to avoid complexities.Though the 240 municipalities are mostly going to fulfill the five-year tenure from February to March next, complexities may appear in case the elections are held in January next as the draft updated voter list will be published on January 2, 2016 to receive and dispose of complaints regarding the fresh voters, EC officials said.In case of arrangement of the countrywide municipal polls in January next, any aggrieved person may go to the court challenging the commission’s decision on the ground of ensuring the voting rights of the fresh voters in the municipal polls, the officials added.The commission has the legal obligation to hold election to a municipality within 90 days before the expiry of its five-year tenure. The commission held the last countrywide municipal elections in January 2011.
