DNCC, DSCC Polls: EC trying to help ruling party candidates: BNP
BNP yesterday expressed their apprehension about the Election Commission’s “hasty” announcement of the schedule for the polls to the two Dhaka city corporations.
“We think that the Election Commission announced the schedule hastily in order to help ruling party candidates win the election,” claimed Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, secretary general of BNP, while speaking to journalists at a press conference at the party chairperson’s Gulshan office yesterday.
He came up with the concern after holding a meeting of the party’s standing committee, its highest policymaking body. The meeting discussed the current political situation of the country and the party’s next strategy.
“Our decision was that we will take part in the local government elections and we will participate in this election too. But everything depends on the electoral situation,” he said.
Raising objection to the use of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), Fakhrul said, “Election Commission said EVM will be used. This is highly objectionable. We condemn this decision. There is a huge chance of manipulation of the election result.”
Fakhrul said that nomination forms for the mayoral posts will be distributed from December 26, and deadline for submission is December 27.
The party will interview nomination seekers at its chairperson’s office on December 28, he added.
JP TO DISTRIBUTE FORMS TODAY
Jatiya Party will start giving out nomination forms from today among interested mayoral and councillor candidates for Dhaka north and south city polls.
Forms can be collected from the party president’s Banani office from December 23-27.
All prospective JP leaders will have to submit the filled-out forms by December 27, the party said in a press release.
Interview of the prospective candidates will be held on December 29 at the party chairperson’s office while the list of candidates will be declared on December 30, said the release.
In the meantime, JP chairperson and deputy leader of the opposition GM Quader yesterday at a programme in the capital said JP will consider it if Awami League (AL) gives them any proposal to participate in the polls under an alliance.
AL will start distributing nomination papers among the party’s prospective candidates today.
The polls to Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) will be held on January 30 next year.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda announced the election schedule at a press conference held at Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital’s Agargaon following the EC’s 57th commission meeting on Sunday.
As per the schedule, the last date for nomination paper submission is December 31; nomination paper scrutiny will be held on January 2, and the deadline for candidature withdrawal is January 9.
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