VIPs can't campaign in this election either

Like other local government elections, VIPs including ministers, MPs, the speaker and opposition leaders in parliament, who enjoy government facilities, cannot join the campaign in the upcoming district council election, according to a proposed code of conduct.

On the other hand, the contestants will not be allowed to hold public rallies and use loudspeakers.

The Election Commission sent the draft code to the law ministry yesterday for scrutiny.

The first-ever election to the district councils is slated for December 28, and EC may announce the schedule in the middle of the next month. The aforementioned VIPs are not allowed to campaign for any candidate during the election to other local government bodies -- upazila prishads, city corporations, and union parishads -- because their presence might influence the polls, said Election Commissioner Shah Nawaz.

“As there are a limited number of voters in this election, we want that this campaign is conducted on a limited scale. That is why we have taken the decision to impose a bar on public rallies and loudspeakers,” he told The Daily Star.

The district council is comprised of a chairman, 15 general members, and five female members from the reserved seats for women. They will be elected by the direct vote of representatives of local government bodies -- city corporations, upazila parishads and union parishads, according to law.

In 2000, the Awami League-led government repealed the Zila Parishad Act 1988 and passed the District Council Act 2000 with a provision for election to Zila Parishads. But no election to the parishads has been held so far, allowing bureaucrats to run them.

Later in December 2011, the government appointed administrators to 61 Zila Parishads or district councils, most of whom are top leaders of AL's district units. On October 6, the parliament passed the District Council (Amendment) Act 2016.