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SUNAMGANJ-3 BY-POLLS

HC order violated as EC fails to collect candidates' info

STAFF CORRESPONDENT
The High Court (HC) directive for the Election Commission (EC) to collect personal details of the candidates aspiring to parliament has not been followed properly in the upcoming Sunamganj-3 byelection, speakers told a discussion in the city yesterday.
The EC has failed to implement the HC directive of gathering information on the candidates' academic qualifications, source of income, description of assets and liabilities, Professor Muzaffer Ahmed told addressing the discussion arranged at the Jatiya Press Club by Shujan, a coalition dedicated to promoting good governance.
"Sunamganj by-election is very crucial as it is going to be the first election after the issuance of High
Court directive," he said adding that it is a test case ahead of the next general election.
The HC on May 24 this year issued the order.
Professor Ahmed said the directive is not mandatory for the EC, but the election order of 1973 empowers the RO to cancel the nomination papers of those who would submit incomplete information.
He described as incomplete and inadequate the information submitted to the commission by all nine candidates in the Sunamganj byelection along with nomination papers.
The EC, if necessary, should postpone the July 20 by-poll of Sunamganj and examine the personal information of all nine candidates, he added.
Prof Ahmed also alleged that the EC has yet to take steps to disseminate the information on the candidates as directed by the HC.
Citing from the candidates' personal information submitted to the RO, Prof Muzaffer Ahmed questioned, "Is it reliable that none of the nine candidates has any liabilities?"
He said the candidates also did not say anything about how much money they have in cash.
Only one candidate wrote about his bank loan, while another candidate in the space earmarked for educational qualification in the EC provided form wrote 'not applicable', he said.
Dr Badiul Alam Majumder told the meeting that the purpose of the
HC directive is to ensure voters' right to know in detail about the candidates and such right is very much a part of the right to franchise.
He said the responsibility rests with the EC to implement effectively the HC directive in order to help citizens to make an informed choice.
Former advisor to the caretaker government ASM Shahjahan spoke at the discussion.