Rangamati Correspondent :
The Election Commission (EC) yesterday rescheduled polling to all 49 union parishads (UP) of Rangamati from the third phase on April 23 to the sixth in June, reasoning in a letter to the district election officer that major political parties could not field chairman candidates.
The directive was aimed “at ensuring participation of all”, reads the letter directing the rescheduling, signed by EC Deputy Secretary Shamsul Islam.
However, several EC officials told journalists the postponement was mainly for the absence of the ruling Awami League’s (AL) candidates. There were no AL candidates in 19 UPs and BNP could not in 27 UPs, according to EC’s statistics. Local leaders of both AL and BNP showed reluctance fearing attacks by regional political parties in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), according to news reports. There was no BNP candidate in 119 UPs in the first phase, in around 75 in the second and in around 45 in the third, according to EC’s documents.
“But the EC does not show that much of a headache for it. The commission suspended polling to only a few union parishads considering the absence of BNP’s candidate,” a deputy secretary told journalists seeking anonymity.
“But the commission has taken the Rangamati issue seriously as Awami League could not field candidates there,” he added. However, at a formal press briefing at the EC secretariat on Tuesday , Election Commissioner Shah Nawaz claimed the rescheduling was over security grounds. “We think if elections in the region are held in the last phase, violence may be lower,” he said.
He also threatened to take stern action against law enforcers and polling officials who neglect duties and “are found sitting silent during ballot stuffing or any irregularities”. Elections to 712 UPs were held on March 22 and 13 on March 23 in the first phase. Around 645 UPs will go to polls tomorrow in the second phase; around 621 on April 23 in the third and 743 on May 7 in the fourth and around 1,400 in two other phases till June.
The Election Commission (EC) yesterday rescheduled polling to all 49 union parishads (UP) of Rangamati from the third phase on April 23 to the sixth in June, reasoning in a letter to the district election officer that major political parties could not field chairman candidates.
The directive was aimed “at ensuring participation of all”, reads the letter directing the rescheduling, signed by EC Deputy Secretary Shamsul Islam.
However, several EC officials told journalists the postponement was mainly for the absence of the ruling Awami League’s (AL) candidates. There were no AL candidates in 19 UPs and BNP could not in 27 UPs, according to EC’s statistics. Local leaders of both AL and BNP showed reluctance fearing attacks by regional political parties in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), according to news reports. There was no BNP candidate in 119 UPs in the first phase, in around 75 in the second and in around 45 in the third, according to EC’s documents.
“But the EC does not show that much of a headache for it. The commission suspended polling to only a few union parishads considering the absence of BNP’s candidate,” a deputy secretary told journalists seeking anonymity.
“But the commission has taken the Rangamati issue seriously as Awami League could not field candidates there,” he added. However, at a formal press briefing at the EC secretariat on Tuesday , Election Commissioner Shah Nawaz claimed the rescheduling was over security grounds. “We think if elections in the region are held in the last phase, violence may be lower,” he said.
He also threatened to take stern action against law enforcers and polling officials who neglect duties and “are found sitting silent during ballot stuffing or any irregularities”. Elections to 712 UPs were held on March 22 and 13 on March 23 in the first phase. Around 645 UPs will go to polls tomorrow in the second phase; around 621 on April 23 in the third and 743 on May 7 in the fourth and around 1,400 in two other phases till June.
