Inclusion of new areas in law delaying polls: EC officials

The announcement of the election schedule for the bifurcated Dhaka city corporation is being delayed, as the newly delimited areas are yet to be included in the Local Government (City Corporation) Act 2009, Election Commission officials said yesterday.
The commission will announce the schedule soon after the Local Government Division (LGD) issues a gazette, amending the first schedule of the act, in which the latest delimited areas will be included, they told journalists at the EC Secretariat.
The LGD on Thursday issued a gazette, announcing the inclusion of Sultanganj union in the Dhaka South City Corporation territory.
“Sub-section-4 of Section-4 of the act will have to be amended to include the newly delimited areas,” said Election Commissioner Mohammad Abdul Mobarak. “The process of completion of the task is underway. We will announce the schedule as soon as the gazette is issued.”
An EC official said if the commission could announce the schedule immediately, the elections were possible by the first week of July. Or, it will take place after Eid-ul-Fitr, he added. The last Dhaka city corporation election was held in 2002. The term expired in 2007.