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Take part in local govt elections

UPR urges political parties

Staff Correspondent
Leaders of Unity for Political Reforms (UPR) yesterday called upon all political parties to take part in the polls of city corporations and upazila parishads before the national election.
Local government polls will be a test case for the present government for holding a credible national election, they said, adding. it will make the parliament election acceptable and strengthen the local government bodies.
Speaking at a press conference at the National Press Club in the capital, UPR Coordinator Dr Zafarullah Chowdhury’ said the democratic governments over the last two decades were indifferent to holding the upazila parishad elections.
| - "Strong local government leaders are very’ important to prevent’ the entrance of business people into politics," he added.
“What is the guarantee that the political governments will hold the upazila election, as they did not do it in the past," he posed a question, adding that the Awami League (AL) leaders at a meeting on Thursday spoke in favour of taking part in city corporation elections.
It is hoped that both the AL and the BNP will take part in the local government elections as these are urgently needed to strengthen democracy and stop the presence of any unwanted force in politics, said Zafarullah.
Local government elections will also strengthen the assertions of the Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed that the national election wi 11 be held by the year-end.
Another UPR leader ASM Abdur Rab said, "We are demanding that all upazila polls should be held before the national election.”
"To decentralise power and reach the state facilities to the doorsteps of people, local government, especially the. upazila parishad elections are essential," he said, adding that as the voters' registration will be completed by August, there will be no problem for holding the local government
elections before the national polls.
Asked for comments on the major political parties' perception that the local government polls will be held under the blueprint of the present government, Abdur Rab said there is no scope for rigging the polls ffiis time, as the voters,' identity cards and transparent ballot boxes will be used.
In a written speech, UPR Member-Secretary MA Gofran said, "We propose for establishing national consensus on holding upazila polls without hampering the national election, forming metropolitan governments in mega cities and implementing the High Court order of disclosing eight information about the candidates in the case of local government elections too."
There is no alternative to empower’ people through local governments and to conpnqe; democracy and constitutional politics, he added.
UPR leader Shahidullah Faraezi was also present at the press conference.