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Local govt system being freed from MP influence: CEC

Staff Correspondent
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda yesterday said people would no more have to depend on lawmakers for local development as upazila parishad system is being revitalised freeing it from lawmakers' influence.
"Lawmakers willhave no power to influence local development activities. Upazila chairmen will have the authority to do these jobs. So, people will not need to go to lawmakers for development or solution of any problems at local levels,” Huda said.
He made the remarks as grassroots level leaders of different political parties expressed concern
about the consequences of proposed redrawal of parliamentary constituencies at the EC's hearing of appeals against the move.
The CEC and election commissioners Muhammed Sohul Hussain and Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hussain began hearing the appeals yesterday.
The caretaker government has drafted fresh laws on upazila parishads empowering their chairmen to carry out local developmentactivities.
And elections to upazila parishads will be held and upazila chairmen will start work before the next parliamentary polls, Huda said.
Appearing before the EC for
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appeal hearings, many appellants apprehended that they might be deprived of local development once their constituencies are redemarcated putting them in new constituencies.
They will have to face difficulties in communicating with lawmakers to be dected in the new constituencies since they will not be familiar to them, the appellants argued, opposing the redrawal move.
They urged the EC to cancel the gazette notification containing a draft list of redrawn parliamentary constituencies.
Some of them questioned this move ahead of the parliamentary polls saying the EC should immediately hold the election to put an end to the critical situation the country is passing through.
In response, the CEC said people would not face any problems due to re-demarcation of parliamentary seats as everything will remain the same for them. But candidates in the polls may face problems due to new areas, he added.
'The previous governments did not follow the laws in doing so many things. The 1/11 |the state of emergency was imposed on this date] was due to the negative culture of politics. Mind it. the present Election Commission is not the same as the previous ones,” the CEC said.
The CEC also criticised the district ministers system under the previous governments. “ A dairy farm was established in Narsinghdi only for the then minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan since he was elected from that district. But there was not a single cow or goat at the farm." he said substantiating his criticism.
At the appeal hearing, Awami League leader Col (retd) Shawkat Ali said people of Shariatpur district do not want re-demarcation of parliamentary seats ahead of the coming polls.
Jamaat-e-Islami central leader Abdul Quader Mollah protested the EC move to allocate four parliamentary seats in his home district Faridpur, as against five seats now. He asked the EC to hold the polls immediately.
Mahfuzur Rahman Bachchu, Faridpur district BNP leader, said people are not happy with the redemarcation.
On the first day, the EC heard appeals filed from eight constituencies of Dhaka Division. These are Tangail- 5 and 6, Kishoreganj- 1 and 2, Faridpur- 2, 3 and 4 and Shariatpur-2.
Tomorrow, it will hear appeals filed from Manikganj, Jamalpur, Netrokona and Mymcnsingh districts, and some fromOhaka.
The EC plans to hear about 3,000 appeals by June 30 and then give its decision.