Trackback URL
Download PDF The Election Commission (EC) will take instant punitive actions against electoral candidates, including cancellation of candidacies, if they violate the electoral rules and the code of conduct for electioneering, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda said yesterday.
“Stern actions will be taken against candidates who will break the electoral rules during campaigns. Candidacies will be cancelled if they are found breaking the rules,” the CEC said during a news briefing in his office.
“We will implement the electoral rules and the code of conduct firmly,” he told reporters adding, “Elections free from the influence of black money and muscle could not be held in the past as electoral laws were not firmly implemented.”
Asked whether the EC will sit again with political parties if they want, the CEC said, “We are holding the local government polls as per the request of the government, and if anything has to change, the government and political parties have to discuss the matter and reach an agreement first.”
As the local government elections including upazila polls are being held first according the will of the government, the political parties should discuss their resentments with the government, he quipped.
Asked about the political parties appeal to hold the parliamentary election before local government polls, the CEC said, “We don’t understand why they are opposing holding of the local government elections before the parliamentary election, and I believe the entire nation also doesn’t understand.”
The CEC urged political parties to clarify what is their problem with holding local government elections before the parliamentary poll.
“We are strictly following the electoral roadmap, holding of the local government elections were included in the roadmap and the political parties did not oppose that back then,” the CEC said adding, “It’s not clear why they are opposing it now.”
Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain said all upazila elections might not be held before the parliamentary poll as the national voter list will not be ready before October.
“Elections will be held only to those upazilas where area wise voter lists will be completed,” he said.
Comments are not moderated and only expresses personal views of visitors. BangladeshNews.com.bd is not responsible for commets posted by visitors.
Leave a Reply