Sagar Biswas :
Uncertainty looms large over the fate of next Local Government Election when the Election Commission [EC] and LGRD Ministry, the two vital organs of the electoral process, have issued contradictory statements about holding the polls in time.
As per constitutional obligations, the election must be held in December. But the EC still could not initiate electoral work due to absence of specific law for holding local body polls using party symbols for the first time in the country’s history, officials said on Tuesday.
“Actually, we are waiting for the new law. The time is very short. We have to work fast due to limitation of time. The EC is now working hard to amend some articles for drafting a new law,” Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmed said yesterday.
“We won’t allow any party for fresh registration before completion of next Pourshava and Union Parishad elections apparently to speeding up the EC activities. We haven’t enough time in hand,” the CEC said.
On October 12, the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina approved drafts seeking amendments to four laws and one ordinance, [Union Parishad, Upazila Parishad, Pourashabha, Zila Parishad and City Corporation] aiming to hold local government polls on partisan basis or through party symbol or independently.
Supporting the local government polls using party symbols, the CEC further said: “The local government polls earlier were held with the support of political parties. The symbol was then non-political. Now, it will be held with party symbols formally.”
The Minister for LGRD Engineer Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, however, has driven away the uncertainty over the local body polls. “The new law will be enacted in November. The government is taking preparations for this,” he said yesterday.
The Minister said: “Although five relevant laws were approved in the Cabinet, we will have to wait till next session of the Parliament in November. The tenure of 245 Pourshavas and 4500 Union Parishad will end in December and the next election must be held within 90 days as per the laws.”
But expressing severe frustration, Election Commissioner Sirajul Islam said: “In fact, the EC will not be able to start election work until there is a new law regarding the use of party symbol.”
“The government has not yet taken any preparation to frame the relevant law. Now, the time is very limited. Besides, it is also not clear whether the new voters will be able to participate in the polls,” he said.
It is not the end. There is also no specific guideline in the ruling Awami League’s party Constitution. So, the AL will also have to face more problems if they fail to amend party Constitution in less than two months. Whereas, the issue has not yet been discussed in any forum of the party, insiders said.
Several AL leaders said, they are not sure in which way the party will take part in the local government polls using party symbol. “We are not sure how the candidates will be nominated-centrally or constituting separate board. The AL will wait till the EC finalise its regulations. After that, the party will call central working committee meeting to take its decision,” said an AL leader yesterday preferring to remain anonymous.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party [BNP] also may take part in the coming Local Government election with the party symbol despite earlier opposition against it. “BNP will also take part in the election,” former Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Emajuddin Ahmed has said.
The civil society, however, criticised the government’s move to hold local government polls on partisan lines saying that it would increase nomination business in local elections.
“I think, the system is not illogical. But the atmosphere of introducing such a system is absent in our country. This can happen, when we will have a better political culture,” former Election Commissioner Brigadier General [retd] M Shakhawat Hossain said.
EC sources said, a total of 40 political parties have been registered by the EC. But Jamaat-e-Islami and other political parties will not be eligible to take part in the local government election.
According to information available, the number of voters is now 9, 62, 26, 542. Besides, about 72 lakh more new voters are waiting to join the row under 7.5 per cent increasing rate per year. Of them, only 24 lakh new voters will be able to exercise their franchise if the election is held in due time in December.
Now it’s a big question, how the EC could arrange the local government election in tight schedule along with introducing a new law?
Uncertainty looms large over the fate of next Local Government Election when the Election Commission [EC] and LGRD Ministry, the two vital organs of the electoral process, have issued contradictory statements about holding the polls in time.
As per constitutional obligations, the election must be held in December. But the EC still could not initiate electoral work due to absence of specific law for holding local body polls using party symbols for the first time in the country’s history, officials said on Tuesday.
“Actually, we are waiting for the new law. The time is very short. We have to work fast due to limitation of time. The EC is now working hard to amend some articles for drafting a new law,” Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmed said yesterday.
“We won’t allow any party for fresh registration before completion of next Pourshava and Union Parishad elections apparently to speeding up the EC activities. We haven’t enough time in hand,” the CEC said.
On October 12, the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina approved drafts seeking amendments to four laws and one ordinance, [Union Parishad, Upazila Parishad, Pourashabha, Zila Parishad and City Corporation] aiming to hold local government polls on partisan basis or through party symbol or independently.
Supporting the local government polls using party symbols, the CEC further said: “The local government polls earlier were held with the support of political parties. The symbol was then non-political. Now, it will be held with party symbols formally.”
The Minister for LGRD Engineer Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, however, has driven away the uncertainty over the local body polls. “The new law will be enacted in November. The government is taking preparations for this,” he said yesterday.
The Minister said: “Although five relevant laws were approved in the Cabinet, we will have to wait till next session of the Parliament in November. The tenure of 245 Pourshavas and 4500 Union Parishad will end in December and the next election must be held within 90 days as per the laws.”
But expressing severe frustration, Election Commissioner Sirajul Islam said: “In fact, the EC will not be able to start election work until there is a new law regarding the use of party symbol.”
“The government has not yet taken any preparation to frame the relevant law. Now, the time is very limited. Besides, it is also not clear whether the new voters will be able to participate in the polls,” he said.
It is not the end. There is also no specific guideline in the ruling Awami League’s party Constitution. So, the AL will also have to face more problems if they fail to amend party Constitution in less than two months. Whereas, the issue has not yet been discussed in any forum of the party, insiders said.
Several AL leaders said, they are not sure in which way the party will take part in the local government polls using party symbol. “We are not sure how the candidates will be nominated-centrally or constituting separate board. The AL will wait till the EC finalise its regulations. After that, the party will call central working committee meeting to take its decision,” said an AL leader yesterday preferring to remain anonymous.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party [BNP] also may take part in the coming Local Government election with the party symbol despite earlier opposition against it. “BNP will also take part in the election,” former Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Emajuddin Ahmed has said.
The civil society, however, criticised the government’s move to hold local government polls on partisan lines saying that it would increase nomination business in local elections.
“I think, the system is not illogical. But the atmosphere of introducing such a system is absent in our country. This can happen, when we will have a better political culture,” former Election Commissioner Brigadier General [retd] M Shakhawat Hossain said.
EC sources said, a total of 40 political parties have been registered by the EC. But Jamaat-e-Islami and other political parties will not be eligible to take part in the local government election.
According to information available, the number of voters is now 9, 62, 26, 542. Besides, about 72 lakh more new voters are waiting to join the row under 7.5 per cent increasing rate per year. Of them, only 24 lakh new voters will be able to exercise their franchise if the election is held in due time in December.
Now it’s a big question, how the EC could arrange the local government election in tight schedule along with introducing a new law?
