The Cabinet on Monday approved drafts seeking amendments to four laws and one ordinance, aiming to hold local government polls on partisan basis or through party symbol or independently. The decision, subject to the vetting of the Law Ministry, was taken at the regular weekly meeting of the Cabinet held at Bangladesh Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair. With such proposed amendments to the laws, the nominated candidates of different political parties registered with the Election Commission or independent candidates will be able to take part in local government body polls, said Cabinet Secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan while briefing reporters after the meeting. The drafts, proposed to be amended, are: ‘Local Government (Union Parishad) (amendment) Bill, 2015’, ‘Upazila Parishad (amendment) Bill, 2015’, ‘Zila Parishad (amendment) Bill, 2015′, Local Government (City Corporation) (amendment) Bill, 2015’. The Cabinet Secretary said the meeting, however, decided to frame the draft of the ‘Local Government (Pourashava) (amendment), Bill, 2015’ as an ordinance since parliament is not in session now while the next countywide Pourashava elections would be held by December next. Musharraf Hossain also said the remaining drafts of the four Amended laws would be placed in parliament for enactment. He said the LGRD Ministry came up with the proposal of amendments to five laws related to local government body system from the perspective of empowerment as well as development of political and democratic culture. Under the existing parliamentary system of democracy in Bangladesh, the Cabinet Secretary said, the national election is held on partisan basis while the scope is also there for the independent candidates to participate in the polls. But, there was no scope for holding local government body polls on partisan basis in Bangladesh. In developed democracies like the UK, India and the USA, he said, local government polls are held on partisan basis like the city council, county council and district council polls in the UK. With the proposed amendments, interested candidates will be able to participate in the elections to local government bodies either with the nomination of any political party or as independent candidates, the Cabinet Secretary said. Besides, the candidate of a political party can contest elections to Union Parishad, Upazila Parishad, Zila Parishad, Pourashava or City Corporations with the symbol of their respective political parties registered with the Election Commission, he said. The Cabinet Secretary said major changes brought through the amendments are on definition of a political party and independent candidate, eligibility of the chairman and member candidates and responsibility of the Election Commission in conducting the local government body polls of Union Parishads. Besides, Musharraf Hossain said, in the case of election to the Zila Parishad Chairman, amendments have been made in the draft of the ‘Zila Parishad (Amendment) Bill, 2015’ allowing Upazila Vice Chairman and Upazila Female Vice Chairman as voters or members of the electoral college alongside Upazila Chairmen and other members of the respective elected local government bodies. On completion of the five-year tenure of a local government elected body, the government will appoint an Administrator if the election could not be held in time for any reason, he said adding that such a provision is currently in place for city corporations. Ministers and State Ministers attended the meeting. Secretaries concerned were also present.–UNB
