Sagar Biswas :The Election Commission [EC] has planned to hold elections in 4,500 Union Parisads [UPs] within next March to June timeframe making adjustment with the schedule of Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations across the country.To execute the plan, EC will sit soon with Ministry of Education to harmonize the examination timetable with the electoral schedule. The HSC examination is likely to begin on April 1. For the first time in the country, the UP elections will be held on partisan basis where Awami League, BNP, Jatiya Party and other political parties are likely to participate fielding their party men with own party symbols. If everything is okay, the first phase of elections will be held at 400 UPs in country’s coastal belt in the last week of March. And so, the EC will announce electoral schedule of these unions within a day or two, EC officials told The New Nation on Monday.”We hope, the EC may get electoral acts, rule-regulations and code of conduct, which are already amended by Law Ministry, very soon,” Election Commissioner Zaved Ali said.He said, “After getting the electoral acts, it will be circulated through publishing gazette. The electoral schedule of the first phase election may be given on Thursday. Earlier, we planned to start with 750 UPs, but now it stands at 400.” Pointing at HSC examinations, he said, “The UP elections will be held in the gaps of HSC exams. We will fix the appropriate gap after discussing with Education Ministry. Every possible matter, including voting centres, police force, teachers and students, will be kept under active consideration before arranging the election.” According to Election Office, the tenure of 747 UPs of coastal belt will end in the first week of next April. But it will not be possible for EC to holdelection before March 26. Besides, the electoral acts and code of conduct are yet to be completed.Not only that, the latest voter list was published just on Sunday. In accordance with the voter list, the EC will have to prepare CDs [compact disks] containing voter list of specific area before election. Besides, it will also take extra time to print ballot papers as ‘chairman’ candidates would take part in the polls under party symbols.Sources said around 5 lakh government employees will remain involved during the UP elections and huge number of law enforcers will patrol the poll areas.Earlier, the political parties fielded candidates for mayors of 234 municipalities and other posts of local bodies on party lines and using party symbols in December last year.”The Ramzan month may begin on June 6. It will not possible to hold election during Ramzan. On the other hand, the tenure of UPs will end within next June. As per existing law, the election must be held six months before the tenure is completed. In this situation, we will urge the Education Ministry to prepare the exam routine keeping similarity with polls schedule,” EC Secretary Sirajul Islam said.Sources close to EC said that the EC appears divided on some aspects of the code of conduct for the upcoming UP polls. For example, the EC is divided over whether to allow Upazila chairmen, municipal and city corporation mayors, to campaign during the UP polls, or not. Earlier, the EC imposed bar on MPs from joining the municipal polls campaigns. However, the parties can spend Tk 30,000 in each Union for campaign purposes while they will be penalised with a maximum fine of Tk 500,000 for violation of the electoral code, according to sources.
