UZ candidates' info to be made public

The Election Commission (EC) yesterday directed returning officers (ROs) to circulate several personal details of contenders in the January 22 upazila parishad election locally to help voters choose honest and competent candidates.
As per the EC directives, the ROs will circulate seven sets of information about the contestants. These include their educational qualification, profession, source of income, movable and immovable assets and liabilities of candidates and all their dependants, loans (if any) and whether they are accused in any criminal case now, or were accused in any such case previously.
All the 8,131 contestants for the posts of chairman, vice-chairman, and reserved vice chairman posts for women provided these information in the affidavit attached to their nomination papers submitted to the ROs and assistant returning officers (AROs). Of the candidates, 3,316 are vying for the post of chairman. 2,879 for vice-chairman and 1,936 for women's reserved vice-chairman posts.
The EC issued a circular yesterday asking the Ros to circulate the candidates' particulars through handbills or leaflets to be distributed among voters, particularly at village markets and people's gatherings.
The ROs have also been asked to supply these information to the media and NGOs interested in circulating these.
The EC has already directed two monitoring officers, who were trained for such job for the recent parliamentary election, to assist the ROs.
The Local Government (Upazila Parishad) Election Rules 2008 made it mandatory for candidates to provide these information through affidavit so that voters can take appropriate decision.
PRESIDENT PRAISES
President Iajuddin Ahmed yesterday praised the EC for holding a free, fair and credible parliamentary election.
The president expressed his appreciation when Chief Election Commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda along with two election commissioners met him at the Bangabhaban.
The CEC and election commissioners Mohammad Sohul Hossain and Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawath Hossain apprised the president of various aspects of the December 29 polls.
They also expressed gratitude to the president for his all out help in holding the polls properly.