Upazila polls go political

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The upcoming upazila elections will finally not be non-partisan as the Election Commission (EC) has prepared the draft code of conduct for the polls without any provision to prevent political parties from electioneering for candidates they back.

The draft code of conduct allows candidates to use political affiliations in electoral campaigns but it has imposed restrictions on using portraits of party leaders or party electoral symbols, sources in the EC Secretariat said.

The draft, which was sent to the law ministry at the end of last week for vetting, also prohibits holding of rallies for electioneering without prior permission of the local police authorities.

“For holding rallies the candidates will have to apply to the police authorities concerned before 24 hours of the meeting schedule specifying the time and venue of the programme,” says the draft code of conduct.

The EC has decided not to make the upazila parishad polls non-partisan following the July 31 High Court ruling that scrapped its earlier restriction on campaigns by political parties for candidates they backed in the August 4 city corporation and municipality polls.

Following the ruling the commission’s move to keep political parties away from the two local government body polls failed.

The upazila parishad candidates will be allocated electoral symbols specified for the local government body elections and no candidate will be allowed to begin campaign before 21 days of the polling date, EC Secretariat officials said quoting the draft.

The code of conduct also imposes restrictions on using posters and graffiti on walls, vehicles etc.

For violation of any provisions of the code of conduct, an individual will be sentenced to six months’ imprisonment or fined Tk 50,000. In case of gross violation of the rules, the code of conduct empowers the EC to cancel candidatures.

In exercising the authority given by the upazila parishad ordinance, the EC will promulgate the code of conduct by next week, if possible, after the law ministry sends it back, EC sources said.

The EC has decided in principle to begin holding the upazila parishad elections from October 23. Polls to 200-250 of 482 upazilas will be held in the first phase.

Major political parties including the Awami League and the BNP have been vehemently opposing the government and EC plan for holding upazila polls before the stalled ninth parliamentary elections scheduled for the third week of December.

Senior leaders of the parties also announced to resist the upazila election, fearing it will create obstacle to holding of the parliamentary polls.

Meanwhile, the EC is going to open talks with political parties on September 6 where the issue of upazila elections is likely to be discussed.

The EC has planned to formally talk about the timeframe for holding the upazila polls after the dialogue, sources said, adding that the EC Secretariat is, however, making preparations for holding the upazila elections in October.

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