CCC polls today
Thursday, 17 June 2010
Our Correspondent
CHITTAGONG, Jun 16: The election commission (EC) is all set to hold the much-awaited Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) election tomorrow (Thursday). The election will be held from 8.00 am to 4.00 pm.
The CCC election has been the focal point of national politics as the ruling Awami League and the main opposition party BNP have taken it as 'prestige issue'.
The AL has backed Mohiuddin Chowdhury while the BNP has supported Manjur Alam as mayoral candidates in the non-party elections under the local government regulations. Both the major parties have employed their full force through participation of central leaders in the election campaign for their candidates.
As many as 40 central leaders and MPs from the ruling grand alliance and 20 central leaders and MPs from the opposition alliance worked round the clock in the two-week election campaign that ended on Tuesday night.
Observers say the city will witness a closely-fought contest poll between the two main mayoral candidates.
The city corporation election in the port city will be only one of six city corporation holding the polls before its current tenure expires on June 25.
"All preparations have been completed for the polls. We have taken all measures to hold a free and fair election," returning officer Jesmin Tuli told the FE this afternoon.
She said that the election materials including five million ballot papers, 6,000 transparent ballot boxes and 130 electronic voting machines have been distributed among the election conducting officials.
About 15,000 presiding, assistant presiding and polling officers and 23,000 law enforcers will be deployed in 673 polling centres under 41 wards of the CCC.
Of them, 222 centres have been declared 'risky' by the election commission. 22 members from the police, Ansar and VDP will be deployed at each risky centre while 20 of them will be at each 'safe' centre.
As many as 702 members of the army, 250 members of the BDR and 1000 members of the elite force RAB have been put on patrol duty apart from 41 vigilance teams headed by magistrates. The army members will act as striking force on the polls day.
CHITTAGONG, Jun 16: The election commission (EC) is all set to hold the much-awaited Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) election tomorrow (Thursday). The election will be held from 8.00 am to 4.00 pm.
The CCC election has been the focal point of national politics as the ruling Awami League and the main opposition party BNP have taken it as 'prestige issue'.
The AL has backed Mohiuddin Chowdhury while the BNP has supported Manjur Alam as mayoral candidates in the non-party elections under the local government regulations. Both the major parties have employed their full force through participation of central leaders in the election campaign for their candidates.
As many as 40 central leaders and MPs from the ruling grand alliance and 20 central leaders and MPs from the opposition alliance worked round the clock in the two-week election campaign that ended on Tuesday night.
Observers say the city will witness a closely-fought contest poll between the two main mayoral candidates.
The city corporation election in the port city will be only one of six city corporation holding the polls before its current tenure expires on June 25.
"All preparations have been completed for the polls. We have taken all measures to hold a free and fair election," returning officer Jesmin Tuli told the FE this afternoon.
She said that the election materials including five million ballot papers, 6,000 transparent ballot boxes and 130 electronic voting machines have been distributed among the election conducting officials.
About 15,000 presiding, assistant presiding and polling officers and 23,000 law enforcers will be deployed in 673 polling centres under 41 wards of the CCC.
Of them, 222 centres have been declared 'risky' by the election commission. 22 members from the police, Ansar and VDP will be deployed at each risky centre while 20 of them will be at each 'safe' centre.
As many as 702 members of the army, 250 members of the BDR and 1000 members of the elite force RAB have been put on patrol duty apart from 41 vigilance teams headed by magistrates. The army members will act as striking force on the polls day.