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CCC MAYORAL RACE

Campaign ends with signs of close finish

RAFIQ HASAN and SHAMEEM MAHMUD, Ctg
The two cardinal contestants in the port city mayoral race are set for a neck-and-neck finish tomorrow, when over 11 lakh voters will choose the next city father of the country's commercial capital.
Election campaigns rose to a fever pitch yesterday, the last day of canvassing, before petering out at midnight.
BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan and Senior Joint Secretary General Tarique Rahman addressed a wrap-up rally in support of the ruling coalition mayoral candidate Mir Mohammad Nasir Uddin in Laldighi Maidan.
On the other hand, a troop of central leaders of the main opposition Awami League and its allies joined rallies in all the 41 city wards to pep up public support for Nagorik Committee candidate incumbent Mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury.
After the public gatherings, both Mohiuddin and Mir Nasir continued mass contact across the city until midnight.
Meanwhile, troopers from armed forces, paramilitary rifles and Armed Police Battalion took position in the city and started patrolling the major thoroughfares since yesterday afternoon. Police and ansars are posted at the polling centres, where ballot materials have already arrived.
Military officers on election duty talked with the locals yesterday, assuring them of maintaining peace and providing full security to voters during the polls.
MOHIUDDIN ALLEGES RIGGING SCHEME
The opposition-backed mayoral candidate, Mohiuddin Chowdhury, yesterday alleged the administration is scheming to doctor the election results in favour of the four-party alliance candidate.
Talking to reporters at his residence, Mayor Mohiuddin said his supporters, including minorities, are being intimidated by ruling alliance activists. He also accused his chief rival of plotting to cast fake votes by hired outsiders.
Returning Officer Golam Quddus however rejected outright any bias of the administration towards the ruling alliance-backed candidate. The Election Commission is working neutrally to hold a free and fair election, he said.
But, many locals echoed the incumbent mayor's allegations and said the ruling alliance partner Jamaat-e-Islami plans to bring outsiders fromits strongholds outside the city and from Cox's Bazar to cast fake votes tomorrow.
BALLOT SETTING
The May 9 Chittagong City Corporation election has emerged as the most spectacular local government election since the independence, drawing keen attention of all political quarters and with hordes of government and opposition heavy-weightsjoining the campaigns.
The month-long canvassing ending yesterday has been almost peaceful except a lone incident on Friday night in which rivals stabbed Sabuktagin Siddiqui Mokki, a ward commissioner candidate. There was no report of clash between the supporters of the two major rivals during the campaign.
During the last one month, the city had a festive look, with candidates and their supporters moving door to door seeking support, distributing leaflets, taking out colourful processions, holding rallies and playing parody songs overloudspeakers every day.
Tomorrow the voting begins at 8 in the morning and continues till 4:00pm without any break at 577 polling centres, of which as many as 567 are considered vulnerable.
A total of 11,38,318 voters are expected to exercise their franchise tomorrow to elect a mayor, 41 ward commissioners and 14 women commissioners in reserved seats amid a beefed up security.
Officially, 21 candidates are vying for the mayoral office and 387, including 83 women for the 14 reserved seats, for ward commissioners.
Apart from the two chief mayoral candidates backed by AL and ruling coalition, five candidates are nominated by small political parties. They are M Haider Ali Chowdhury of Jatiya Party (Monju), Abul Khashem Nuri of Bangladesh Islami Front, Entaz Mian of National Awami Party, M Abu Naser Talukder of Islami Front and Dilip Bhadra of Sangskritic Morcha.
The remaining 14 mayoral candidates are independent. But, it has been widely alleged that many of them are just dummies set up by the two main contestants.
Some 10,500 election officials have been trained and sent to the polling centres. Six hundred magistrates will be stationed at the centres or accompany the armed strike forces for on-the-spot legal actions against any troublemakers.
Over 14 local and foreign organisations will observe the polls.