EC won't permit Jamaat to contest

The Election Commission has decided not to allow Jamaat-e-Islami to participate in the December 30 municipality polls as its registration with the EC was declared illegal by the High Court.

For the first time in the country's history, municipality polls will be held on partisan lines under the provisions of the newly enacted Local Government (Municipality) Amendment Act-2015.

The EC on Wednesday sent letters to all 40 registered political parties asking them to send returning officers the names of their authorised persons who would pick mayoral candidates.

But no letter was sent to Jamaat as the EC considered that the party was no longer registered with it.

“As the High Court declared Jamaat's registration illegal, we don't consider it as a registered political party,” Sirazul Islam, secretary of EC Secretariat, told The Daily Star last evening.

The EC on November 14, 2008 had listed Jamaat as a registered political party. The HC on August 1, 2013 had declared the registration illegal as the party's charter contained provisions that contradicted the country's constitution and the Representation of the People's Order.

Sources at the EC said the commission didn't issue any circular or statement in this regard because an appeal against the HC verdict was pending with the Supreme Court.

Against such a backdrop, Jamaat's grassroots leaders are preparing to contest the December 30 polls as independent candidates.

Several district correspondents of this newspaper reported that Jamaat men in over two dozens of municipalities were making preparations for joining the electoral race.

“Our leaders might participate in the polls with BNP's electoral symbol if the party fights the elections in an alliance with the BNP-led combine,” a Jamaat leader told this correspondent yesterday wishing anonymity. 

Out of 323 municipalities in the country, 236 will go to polls on December 30.

The new law stipulated that only the mayoral hopefuls will be able to contest the polls on political parties' ticket. Besides, eligible candidates can also run for mayor independently.

The councillor aspirants will participate in the elections as independent candidates.