EC to take all steps to ensure free, fair city corporation polls

The Election Commission (EC) will take all steps to ensure free, fair and credible city corporation elections, said a returning officer on Saturday.  
"City corporation elections are non-partisan. We want the elections to be held neutrally. Level-playing field will be created for all parties. We will conduct the elections as per the electoral laws and rules," Returning Officer of Dhaka South Mihir Sarwar Morshed told reporters at a press briefing at Dhaka Mohanagar Nattya Mancha on Saturday.    
Asked how it (EC) will ensure credible elections, he said, "We are determined to hold a free, fair, credible and transparent city corporation poll".
He said the EC has issued legal notices to 78 candidates for violating the electoral rules. He said the commission will take actions against the candidates if he/she violates the electoral laws and rules.
"We (EC) will take actions against the candidate if he/she violates code of conduct," he said.
He said mobile courts with two executive magistrates are now conducting drives to find out persons involved in violation of electoral code of conduct.    
He said 30 persons have so far collected nomination papers. Two of them submitted the papers. A total of 1,041 councillor aspirants have also collected nomination papers and 27 have submitted their papers. The deadline of submission of nomination papers is 5:00 pm today (Sunday).  
As per the schedule announced by the EC, the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) and Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) elections will be held on April 28.
The nomination papers will be scrutinised on April 1 and 2 while the date for withdrawing the paper has been set on April 9.  
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is keeping the lead in terms of collecting nomination papers for contesting the DSCC and the DNCC and the Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) polls.
So far, a total of five central leaders of the party and a pro-BNP professional have collected nomination papers for contesting the DSCC and the DNCC polls, party sources said.
On the other hand, the ruling Awami League has extended its supports to three candidates for contesting DSCC, DNCC and CCC polls.
Former president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI)  Annisul Haque and organising secretary of Dhaka city Awami League Syed Khokon, also the son of former mayor of undivided Dhaka city corporation, will contest DSCC and DNCC polls respectively.      
BNP standing committee member Mirza Abbas collected nomination paper on Friday as a mayoral candidate for Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) polls.
Besides, international affairs secretary of BNP Asaduzzaman Ripon has also collected nomination paper.
Earlier, BNP's finance secretary Abdus Salam and the party chairperson's adviser and former president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Abdul Awal Mintoo and Selim Bhuiyan, a pro-BNP leader of teachers, also collected nomination papers for contesting the polls of DSCC and DNCC respectively. The BNP will back Abdul Awal Mintoo for DNCC, sources said.
M Manjur Alam, adviser to BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, has collected nomination paper for the mayoral post while general secretary of Chittagong metropolitan city Awami League A.Z.M Nasir took nomination paper as Awami League-backed candidate for contesting Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) polls.
The EC announced the schedule on March 18 for polls to two Dhaka city corporations and CCC. As per the schedule the polls will be held on April 28 in the three city corporations simultaneously.
Thirty aspirants have collected nomination papers for DSCC while 26 for DNCC.
Meanwhile, the leaders of Sammilita Peshajibi Andolon (SPA) alleged that the government wants to prevent the BNP from contesting the upcoming city corporation polls by intimidation and filing of cases.
They called upon the government to ensure conducive environment so that all candidates could take part in the elections. Their observation came at a human chain programme organised by the Doctors Association of Bangladesh (DAB) in front of the National Press Club on the day.  
"We want to see neutral elections where all parties' candidates could contest. But the government wants to keep the BNP away from the polls," acting convenor of SPA Ruhul Amin Gazi said.  
He said they are struggling for democracy at a time when there is no iota of it in the country. People have no right to exercise their franchise and media have no freedom.
President of DAB AKM Azizul Haque presided over the programme. President of a faction of the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists Shaukat Mahmood and former president of Dhaka Bar Sanaullah Mia, among others, were present.   
talhabinhabib@yahoo.com