EC proposes rise in spending limit for city corporation candidates
Saturday, 23 January 2010
The Election Commission (EC) has proposed a substantial raise in ceiling on polls expenditures for candidates in the city corporation elections.
The draft Conduct of Election Rules, awaiting Law Ministry vetting, proposes that mayoral candidates for Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) spend up to Tk 5.0 million and for Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) up to Tk 3.0 million and four other cities up to Tk 1.0 million.
Chief Election Commi-ssioner ATM Shamsul Huda told bdnews24.com Thurs-day that they had formulated the draft Conduct of Election Rules, Code of Conducts and Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) Rules and sent those to the Law Ministry the same day.
The Commission proposed fixing election expenditure limit for mayoral candidates at Tk 5.0 million for cities having more than 2.0 million voters, Tk 3.0 million for cities with 1.0 million to 2.0 million voters, Tk 2.0 million for cities having 0.50 million to 1.0 million voters, and Tk 1.0 million for cities with 0.50 million voters.
According to latest EC statistics, there are 3.50 million voters in Dhaka city, a little over 1.0 million in Chittagong, 0.40 million in Khulna, 0.26 million in Rajshahi, 0.25 million in Sylhet and 0.18 million in Barisal.
The Local Government (City Corporation) Ordi- nance promulgated by the former caretaker government allowed mayoral candidates of any of the six city corporations to spend up to Tk 1.50 million.
Polls to Khulna, Barisal, Sylhet and Rajshahi city corporations were held in August 2008 under the Ordinance.
DCC balloting has been pending since May 2007 while the tenure of the incumbent CCC mayor and councillors expire on May 9.
Defending the voter numbers-specific expenditure ceiling, election officials said it is because the number of voters varies from one city to another.
The Commission also proposed setting spending ceiling for councillor candidates at Tk 0.60 million for wards having more than 50,000 voters, Tk 0.40 million for wards with 30,001-50,000 voters, Tk 0.20 million for wards with 15,001-30,000 voters, and Tk 0.10 million for those having up to 15,000 voters.
The draft Conduct of Election Rules, awaiting Law Ministry vetting, proposes that mayoral candidates for Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) spend up to Tk 5.0 million and for Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) up to Tk 3.0 million and four other cities up to Tk 1.0 million.
Chief Election Commi-ssioner ATM Shamsul Huda told bdnews24.com Thurs-day that they had formulated the draft Conduct of Election Rules, Code of Conducts and Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) Rules and sent those to the Law Ministry the same day.
The Commission proposed fixing election expenditure limit for mayoral candidates at Tk 5.0 million for cities having more than 2.0 million voters, Tk 3.0 million for cities with 1.0 million to 2.0 million voters, Tk 2.0 million for cities having 0.50 million to 1.0 million voters, and Tk 1.0 million for cities with 0.50 million voters.
According to latest EC statistics, there are 3.50 million voters in Dhaka city, a little over 1.0 million in Chittagong, 0.40 million in Khulna, 0.26 million in Rajshahi, 0.25 million in Sylhet and 0.18 million in Barisal.
The Local Government (City Corporation) Ordi- nance promulgated by the former caretaker government allowed mayoral candidates of any of the six city corporations to spend up to Tk 1.50 million.
Polls to Khulna, Barisal, Sylhet and Rajshahi city corporations were held in August 2008 under the Ordinance.
DCC balloting has been pending since May 2007 while the tenure of the incumbent CCC mayor and councillors expire on May 9.
Defending the voter numbers-specific expenditure ceiling, election officials said it is because the number of voters varies from one city to another.
The Commission also proposed setting spending ceiling for councillor candidates at Tk 0.60 million for wards having more than 50,000 voters, Tk 0.40 million for wards with 30,001-50,000 voters, Tk 0.20 million for wards with 15,001-30,000 voters, and Tk 0.10 million for those having up to 15,000 voters.