Final list of candidates today
Saturday, 13 December 2008
The Election Commission (EC) has declared valid as many as 1,572 candidates until Friday afternoon, report agencies.
"But after the allotment of electoral logos among the candidates, the number of total candidates may come down to 1,300," Joint Secretary (Election), at the Election Commission Secretariat, Rafiqul Islam said.
The Election Commission will release the final list of candidates with election sym bol today (Saturday), he informed the journalists.
The lowest number of 977 candidates was in the fourth parliamentary election held under HM Ershad's military regime in 1988. Both Awami League and BNP had boycotted the election.
Bangladesh's first national election saw 1,078 candidates, there were 1,450 in sixth and 1,527 in the third.
EC officials said 2,452 candidates had filed their nomination papers from 39 registered political parties and as independent runners for the ninth general elections slated for December 29.
The EC allotted electoral logos Friday and was scheduled to finalise the number of candidates by Friday night, Islam said.
Islam added more than 100 candidacies from Awami League and BNP would be cancelled after the logo allotment.
According to the new electoral laws, one symbol will not be given to more than one candidate. So after a selected candidate from a party or an alliance gets a logo, the other candidates, if any, will lose their validity as candidate.
"As the deadline for withdrawal of candidature ended Thursday, a number of candidates under major political parties and alliances had not withdrawn," Islam said.
He added the EC would finalise the candidacy according to the 'list of preference' submitted by the parties or alliances for shared seats.
The EC had asked for a 'list of preference' from parties and alliances for candidates in relevant constituencies, and the candidacies will be finalised on the basis of the list.
The chief election commissioner (CEC) earlier had said no "dissident candidate" from any political party would get the chance to contest in the polls.
EC officials said the upcoming elections would have fewer candidacies than before because of mandatory registration of political parties with the EC, the bar on dissident candidates and conditions for independent candidate.
A total of 1,938 candidates from parties and independent category had filed nomination papers to run the cancelled election scheduled for January 22, 2007.
Awami League, as the key component of the 'grand alliance', has fielded 242 candidates; and its electoral allies Ershad-led Jatiya Party 49, Worker's Party of Bangladesh three, JSD (Inu) four and Ganotantree Party and Zaker Party one each.
The BNP has candidates in 256 constituencies, while its ally Jamaat has 38 and others have a total of four.
"But after the allotment of electoral logos among the candidates, the number of total candidates may come down to 1,300," Joint Secretary (Election), at the Election Commission Secretariat, Rafiqul Islam said.
The Election Commission will release the final list of candidates with election sym bol today (Saturday), he informed the journalists.
The lowest number of 977 candidates was in the fourth parliamentary election held under HM Ershad's military regime in 1988. Both Awami League and BNP had boycotted the election.
Bangladesh's first national election saw 1,078 candidates, there were 1,450 in sixth and 1,527 in the third.
EC officials said 2,452 candidates had filed their nomination papers from 39 registered political parties and as independent runners for the ninth general elections slated for December 29.
The EC allotted electoral logos Friday and was scheduled to finalise the number of candidates by Friday night, Islam said.
Islam added more than 100 candidacies from Awami League and BNP would be cancelled after the logo allotment.
According to the new electoral laws, one symbol will not be given to more than one candidate. So after a selected candidate from a party or an alliance gets a logo, the other candidates, if any, will lose their validity as candidate.
"As the deadline for withdrawal of candidature ended Thursday, a number of candidates under major political parties and alliances had not withdrawn," Islam said.
He added the EC would finalise the candidacy according to the 'list of preference' submitted by the parties or alliances for shared seats.
The EC had asked for a 'list of preference' from parties and alliances for candidates in relevant constituencies, and the candidacies will be finalised on the basis of the list.
The chief election commissioner (CEC) earlier had said no "dissident candidate" from any political party would get the chance to contest in the polls.
EC officials said the upcoming elections would have fewer candidacies than before because of mandatory registration of political parties with the EC, the bar on dissident candidates and conditions for independent candidate.
A total of 1,938 candidates from parties and independent category had filed nomination papers to run the cancelled election scheduled for January 22, 2007.
Awami League, as the key component of the 'grand alliance', has fielded 242 candidates; and its electoral allies Ershad-led Jatiya Party 49, Worker's Party of Bangladesh three, JSD (Inu) four and Ganotantree Party and Zaker Party one each.
The BNP has candidates in 256 constituencies, while its ally Jamaat has 38 and others have a total of four.