Mayoral polls in 4 city corporations June 15
Mayoral elections in four city corporations -- Rajshahi, Khulna, Barisal and Sylhet -- will be held on June 15, the Election Commission (EC) announced yesterday.
In line with the election schedule, aspirants for the posts of mayors and councillors will have to file applications seeking candidacies for the battle of ballots by May 12.
The election officials will scrutinise the applications on May 15-16 while the last date for withdrawal of candidacies will be May 26, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad said at a press briefing at the EC Secretariat.
More than 12 lakh voters are entitled to cast their votes to elect four mayors and 157 councillors in these city corporations.
The CEC said electronic voting machines (EVM) would be used in one ward of each of the four city corporations.
The last elections to the four city corporations were held on August 8, 2008, during the period of the caretaker government-led by Fakhruddin Ahmed.
At the time, the ruling Awami League-backed candidates won the four mayoral posts, beating the rival BNP-backed candidates.
The tenure of the four city corporations will end between September and October this year.
The electoral law stipulates holding elections to elect new representatives within 180 days before the expiry of the tenure.
The EC yesterday appointed its own officials as returning officers to conduct the June 15 polls.
About the election to the Gazipur City Corporation, the CEC said some preparations for the polls were yet to be completed.
"Once the preparatory work is done, we will announce the schedule for the Gazipur City Corporation polls," he added.
The CEC, however, did not say anything about the long due polls to the bifurcated Dhaka City Corporations (DCC).
Contacted, Election Commissioner Shah Nawaz told The Daily Star yesterday the EC was ready to hold the polls to DCC North and South.
"But we cannot go ahead as a case remains pending with the High Court," he added.
Comments