Govt's nod last drag on DCC election

While the LGRD ministry claims that the barrier to holding the long overdue Dhaka city corporation elections was removed three weeks ago after completion of the delimitation, the Election Commission says it has not received the official notification yet.

The ministry published a gazette on January 28, saying the demarcation of the Dhaka South City Corporation has been done.

EC Secretary Sirazul Islam told The Daily Star yesterday, "The ministry is required to send a copy of the gazette and a letter requesting us to hold the election. Only then we can move ahead."

There was no need to redraw the boundary of the north.

Asked, State Minister for LGRD Moshiur Rahman Ranga said they hoped to start the necessary procedure within next one month to hold the election.

The DCC election has been overdue since May 2007.

In November 2011, the government split the city corporation into two--south and north--and appointed administrators to run them.

On Wednesday, Sirazul Islam said the EC was ready to conduct the vote but waiting for the LGRD ministry's gazette announcing completion of the delimitations.

As per the electoral law, the city corporation election must be held within 180 days prior to the expiry of its tenure or within 180 days after formation of a new city corporation, but the act says nothing about EC's role after expiry of the 180 day timeframe, the EC secretary said yesterday.

"As it is a long overdue local government election, we can't play a proactive role to conduct the vote. We have to act as per the request and demand of the ministry."

At Monday's cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asked LGRD Minister Syed Ashraful Islam to take steps for holding the elections.

The newly delimited south has got 32 more paras and mahallas (localities), which were under Hazaribagh and Kamrangirchar police stations before.