Schedule for city corpn, municipality polls within couple of days
Wednesday, 18 June 2008
The Election Commission (EC) announces schedules for city corporation and municipality elections within a couple of days as the requite rules are now in the EC following finalisation by the caretaker government, reports UNB.
Election Commissioner Brig (retd) M Sakhawat Hussain Tuesday disclosed the preparations for holding the local polls and also said that an SRO to this effect was going to be issued within the day.
Talking to reporters, he said the prescribed rules regarding local bodies' election are already with the Election Commission. A Statutory Regulatory Order (SRO) in this regard might be issued later in the day Tuesday for holding election to four City Corporations and nine Pourasavas in the first phase.
The city corporations are Rajshahi, Barisal, Sylhet and Khulna. The nine Pourasavas are Dupchachia in Bogra, Nawhata in Rajshahi, Sreepur in Gazipur, Fulbaria in Mymensingh, Golapganj in Sylhet, Sitakunda in Chittagong, and Chuadanga, Manikganj and Shariatpur district headquarters.
"We hope that election schedule will be announced within June 20; if not, by June 21," the Election Commissioner said at the EC secretariat in the afternoon.
The EC is proceeding towards holding the local polls when major political parties are requesting the caretaker government to hold first the stalled parliamentary elections.
Describing their plans for holding completely neutral elections in the country, he said the EC wants to see how the new laws made for the election work in this regard through holding the City Corporation and Purasava polls.
"We want to see the impacts of the new laws on ground--how those are being implemented," he said, suggesting that the local elections are being taken as a test case in the changed electoral paradigm.
He informed that the EC would arrange public dialogue between mayoral candidates and the voters of the four city corporations to face several agenda of their respective areas.
"The candidates of City Corporation elections will be invited before the voters for dialogue on several agenda that will be arranged after completion of the candidates' final nomination," the Election Commissioner said in reply to a question.
Asked about voters' selection for participating in dialogue, he said the lists of three-category voters, such as new, middle-aged and senior voters, are being prepared for attending the dialogues.
Replying to another query, Sakhawat Hussain said the EC would repeatedly urge the government to create congenial atmosphere for holding the elections.
Asked about verdict of the hearings over the written objections about the delimitation of the parliamentary constituencies, he said the verdicts would be published in gazette on 1st July. "It's a public hearing. We just listen to them," he said.
Election Commissioner Brig (retd) M Sakhawat Hussain Tuesday disclosed the preparations for holding the local polls and also said that an SRO to this effect was going to be issued within the day.
Talking to reporters, he said the prescribed rules regarding local bodies' election are already with the Election Commission. A Statutory Regulatory Order (SRO) in this regard might be issued later in the day Tuesday for holding election to four City Corporations and nine Pourasavas in the first phase.
The city corporations are Rajshahi, Barisal, Sylhet and Khulna. The nine Pourasavas are Dupchachia in Bogra, Nawhata in Rajshahi, Sreepur in Gazipur, Fulbaria in Mymensingh, Golapganj in Sylhet, Sitakunda in Chittagong, and Chuadanga, Manikganj and Shariatpur district headquarters.
"We hope that election schedule will be announced within June 20; if not, by June 21," the Election Commissioner said at the EC secretariat in the afternoon.
The EC is proceeding towards holding the local polls when major political parties are requesting the caretaker government to hold first the stalled parliamentary elections.
Describing their plans for holding completely neutral elections in the country, he said the EC wants to see how the new laws made for the election work in this regard through holding the City Corporation and Purasava polls.
"We want to see the impacts of the new laws on ground--how those are being implemented," he said, suggesting that the local elections are being taken as a test case in the changed electoral paradigm.
He informed that the EC would arrange public dialogue between mayoral candidates and the voters of the four city corporations to face several agenda of their respective areas.
"The candidates of City Corporation elections will be invited before the voters for dialogue on several agenda that will be arranged after completion of the candidates' final nomination," the Election Commissioner said in reply to a question.
Asked about voters' selection for participating in dialogue, he said the lists of three-category voters, such as new, middle-aged and senior voters, are being prepared for attending the dialogues.
Replying to another query, Sakhawat Hussain said the EC would repeatedly urge the government to create congenial atmosphere for holding the elections.
Asked about verdict of the hearings over the written objections about the delimitation of the parliamentary constituencies, he said the verdicts would be published in gazette on 1st July. "It's a public hearing. We just listen to them," he said.