JS, UZ campaigning to coincide: Sakhawat
Monday, 6 October 2008
Election Commissioner M Sakhawat Hossain has said the campaign schedules for upcoming parliamentary and upazila polls will be made to coincide, pointing out that it will be difficult therefore for the same candidate to contest both elections, reports bdnews24.com.
The commissioner told the news agency Sunday, "The candidate will have to pick one of two elections, as the campaign periods will coincide."
"There is no bar under electoral law for a candidate to run in both elections," he said.
But, Sakhawat pointed out, there would be separate election symbols for upazila and national elections. "It will be very difficult for a candidate to appeal for votes under two different symbols," he said.
The EC will also maintain the same deadline for submission and scrutiny of nomination papers for the two sets of elections, the election official said.
"The deputy commissioner will be the returning officer for national elections and additional deputy commissioner for upazila polls. So officials will not be overburdened during simultaneous submission and scrutiny of papers for two sets of polls," he added. The election schedules will be announced in the first week of November, the EC has said. Sakhawat said the schedules would thereby be given 45-50 days ahead of both sets of polls.
The chief adviser, in an address to the nation last month, announced Dec 18 as the date for parliamentary polls. Elections to upazilas will follow in less than a week in two phases, on Dec 24 and Dec 28. Campaigning is not normally allowed more than 21 days ahead of elections and all campaign activities must come to an end 32 hours prior to elections, according to the electoral laws. Officials of the EC Secretariat say in that case campaigning for parliamentary polls would normally start from Nov 27, and continue until Dec 17.
The commissioner told the news agency Sunday, "The candidate will have to pick one of two elections, as the campaign periods will coincide."
"There is no bar under electoral law for a candidate to run in both elections," he said.
But, Sakhawat pointed out, there would be separate election symbols for upazila and national elections. "It will be very difficult for a candidate to appeal for votes under two different symbols," he said.
The EC will also maintain the same deadline for submission and scrutiny of nomination papers for the two sets of elections, the election official said.
"The deputy commissioner will be the returning officer for national elections and additional deputy commissioner for upazila polls. So officials will not be overburdened during simultaneous submission and scrutiny of papers for two sets of polls," he added. The election schedules will be announced in the first week of November, the EC has said. Sakhawat said the schedules would thereby be given 45-50 days ahead of both sets of polls.
The chief adviser, in an address to the nation last month, announced Dec 18 as the date for parliamentary polls. Elections to upazilas will follow in less than a week in two phases, on Dec 24 and Dec 28. Campaigning is not normally allowed more than 21 days ahead of elections and all campaign activities must come to an end 32 hours prior to elections, according to the electoral laws. Officials of the EC Secretariat say in that case campaigning for parliamentary polls would normally start from Nov 27, and continue until Dec 17.