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Direct voting for Zilla Parishad chairman

Govt seeks six more months for upazila polls

Staff Correspondent
The government has decided to introduce direct elections to the post of Zilla Parishad chairman and create two new posts of vice-chairman in the Zilla and Upazila Parishads.
The LGRD ministry yesterday finalised the drafts of the new ordinances on three local government bodies — Union Parishad (UP), Upazila Parishad and Zilla Parishad - with provision of equal share of the vice-chairman posts by man and woman.
The vice-chairmen will also be elected through direct voting.
In another development, the government has sought six-month extension for holding the upazila elections. The new laws will be enacted after final approval by the Council of Advisers following vetting by the law ministry. Before sending them to the law ministry, the ordinances will be forwarded to the cabinet today or tomorrow for approval in principle.
The three ordinances will be published in a book styled “Local Government (Union Parishad, Upazila and Zilla) Ordinance 2008”.
The government has decided to create the posts of vice-chairman to the Zilla and Upazila Parishads to assist the chairman in carrying out his duties better. LGRD Adviser Anwarul Iqbal said while briefing reporters at his ministry yesterday on the content of the proposed laws.
"Of the two. one will be a woman. We w taken the decision to help development of the women.' he said.
As per the proposed drafts, two vice-chairmen will be elected in each of the 61 districts (apart from hill districts of Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachhan, which are admin-istered by a hill tracts council) and in eachof482upazilas.
“This means 543 new posts will be created for women once the ordinances come into being," the adviser said.
"Once the ordinance is promulgated, the Zilla Parishad will be comprised of an elected chairman and two vice-chairmen, all elected upazila chairmen and vice-chairmen of the district and municipality chairmen," Mizanur Rahman, joint secretary of the ministry, told The Daily Star.
The Upazila Parishad will consist of an elected chairman and two vice-chairmen. municipality chairmen (if them is any municipality in the upazila) and UP chairmen
The new ordinances will specify the duties, responsibilities and facilities of those to be elected in the reserved seats.
'Those who will be elected in the reserved seats will have equal duties and facilities, they'll have to be treated equally.' Anwarul Iqbal said.
Since there Is no mention of educational qualification for the members of parliament, the new laws also do not also put any such requirement for the local government candidates.
UPAZILA POLLS
We've sought another six-month extension this month (for upazila polls)," Anwarul Iqbal said, adding that they are yet to receive any decision in this regard
Though the Supreme Court had earlier asked the government to hold upazila elections in six months, the past governments had dillydallied over it by seeking repeated time extensions.
On why the government has sought time extension as it has handed over the power to the EC to hold the upazila polls, he said. “Since the court earlier directed the govern -ment to hold the election, we’ve continued seeking time, but the Election Commission can also do this now."
Consecutive governments have so far sought extensions for 10-12 times, he said.
In 2001. the government was given the power to hold upazila election but the present caretaker government amended the law and handed over the power to the EC through a gazette notification on April 7.
Asked whether the upazila elections would be held before the parliamentary elections, the LGRD adviser said that it would depend on the EG
It becomes a routine work for die EC to arrange elections to the union parishad, municipality and city corporation, once die tenure of these bodies ends, he added.
Following a High Court judgement on a writ filed by some ward commissioners of Khulna, the minis -try has backtracked from its previous decision of electing women candidates to all wards of local government bodies by rotation in three tenns, and is sticking to existing provision of electing them to 30 percent reserved seats.
"We cannot do it as it will conflict with the court verdict." Anwarul Iqbal said.
As per the previous decision, 40 percent seats were to be reserved in the first term while 30 percent in next two.
The High Court has also said the provision of reserved seats should not be a permanent system, the adviser said adding. “We 11 continue it until a number of women candi -dates can be elected normally
The cabinet on Thursday approved the Local Government (Municipality) Ordinance. 2008 and the Local Government (City Corporation) Ordinance. 2008.
The law ministry will issue a gazette notification on it after the president approves it.