Final phase of UP polls from May 31

Polls to over 3,800 union parishads across the country will be held between May 31 and July 5, the Election Commission announced yesterday.
It, however, authorised the local administration to fix the polling date and dates for other stages of the polls for union parishads in their districts.
Unveiling the polls plan at a press conference at the EC Secretariat, Chief Election Commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda said the EC will leave no stone unturned to hold the polls in a free and fair manner.
"Magistrates and law enforcement agencies will be asked to take action against people, irrespective of their party affiliations, if they are found involved in creating trouble in the elections," Shamsul Huda said.
By holding the phase-2 of the polls to 3,813 out of total 4,505 union parishads, the EC will complete the over-due elections to the lowest tier of the local government.
In phase-1, elections to 568 union parishads were held between March 29 and April 3 in a largely peaceful manner.
The last elections to the union parishads, held between January and March of 2003, was marked by violence and vote rigging. Polls violence left over 80 people dead then.
Before announcing the schedule for phase-2 of the polls, the EC yesterday held a meeting with senior officials of different law enforcement agencies so that they can ensure peaceful atmosphere conducive to the polls.
According to the schedule, applying for candidature to returning officers will be done between May 5 and June 9. Scrutiny of those applications will be done between May 7 and June 11 and withdrawals of candidacies have to be completed between May 15 and June 19.
An EC document said deputy commissioners, superintendents of police and district polling officers, if necessary, in consultation with the upazila nirbahi officers, upazila election officers and officers-in-charge of police stations would fix the election day and date for other stages of the polls.
Ballot casting in all union parishads, fit for election, in an upazila will be held in one day, the EC said.
The document said there will be a 30-day gap between the date for filing applications seeking candidature and election day. The election officials were asked to keep two days for scrutinising applications.
Candidates most likely would be able to withdraw candidature 15 days ahead of election day.
After the dateline for withdrawal ends, candidates are likely to get 13 days for electioneering before election day.