A Jamaat-e-Islami leader yesterday filed a writ petition with the High Court (HO seeking a stay on the Election Commission's (EC) August 4 schedule for holding four city corporation and nine municipality polls.

The petition also challenged the legality of two ordinances promulgated by the government for holding local government elections.

The petitioner prayed to the HC to issue a rule upon the government and EC to explain why the ordinances should not be declared unconstitutional.

An HC bench comprised of Justice Md Imman Ali and Justice Md Emdadul Huq is likely to hear the petition today.

Jasim Uddin Sarker, a leader of Dhaka city unit Jamat-e Islami also a Supreme Court (SC) lawyer, filed the writ petition as a public interest litigation (PIL), stating if local government elections are held before the stalled parliamentary poll, holding of the latter might be jeopardised.

"The caretaker government has taken a risk by announcing the schedule for local government elections. It also issued two ordinances exceeding its jurisdiction. making the ordinances unconstitutional.” Advocate Tajul Islam, counsel for the petitioner, told journalists at a press briefing quoting from the writ

The government on May 14, issued gazette notifications promulgating Local Government (City Corporation) Ordinance 2008 and Local Government (Municipality) Ordinance 2008 for holding elections to city corporations and municipalities.

The EC on June 20 announced that elections to four city corporations and nine municipalities will be held on August 4.

Since the onset of EC's initiatives to hold local government polls prior to the parliamentary election, l Jamaat has been opposing the move.

Taiul said according to article 58 (D) oi the constitution, the caretaker government should discharge the routine functions and cannot take any policy decision like promulgating the local government ordinances.

' Major political parties have been opposing holding of local government elections before the parliamentary poll. But, the EC has announced the schedule for holding elections to four city corporations and nine municipalities ignoring their opinions." he added.

Earlier on July 3, SC lawyer Advocate Giasuadin Ah a aimed served a legal notice to the EC and the government for cancelling the August 4 schedule for holding the city corporation and municipality elections before pubbeation of the finalised national voter list.

The legal notice staled that according to article 119 of the consti -tution, the EC has been entrusted to hold elections to the offices of the president and the parliament, to redemarcate parliamentary constituencies, and to prepare the electoral roll.

"The proposal for holding elections to city corporations and municipalities are against article 119 of the constitution, me notice slated.