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City, Municipality Polls

Code of conduct violators to face criminal cases

Shakhawat Liton
The Election Commission (EC) this week will instruct the law enforcement agencies and returning officers (RO) to file criminal cases against violators of the code of conduct for August 4 polls.
It will also direct the officials engaged in election duties to lodge complaints with criminal courts for breaches of electoral rules, said sources in the EC Secretariat.
Individuals or contestants too can make complaints with the courts or police stations.
The EC Secretariat is drafting a circular containing the instructions to be issued in a day or two.
Its officials said the commission will go for strict enforcement of the code of conduct from July 14. the day set for formal electioneering to begin amid a relaxed state of emergency.
As stated in the electoral rules, a contender might lose candidature in addition to being sentenced to imprisonment and fined for violating the code of conduct.
In the circular being scripted, the EC will ask the ROs to form an adequate number of vigilance teams to enforce the electoral code of conduct.
It will also advise the ROs and assistant returning officers to form a coordination cell to ensure the
law enforcement bodies function smoothly in the four city corporations and nine municipalities going to polls.
In a fresh ordinance on city corporation and municipality, police, Ansar, Battalion Ansar, Bangladesh Rifles, army, navy, air force and coastguard have been defined as law enforcement agencies.
As per the new election rules, the defence forces on duty will have the power to arrest anyone without a warrant for flouting electoral laws on the polling day. Before, only the police would enjoy the authority.
According to the electoral code of conduct, city corporation and municipality polls are nonpartisan and candidates are not allowed to use their political affiliations, party names and portraits of leaders in election campaign.
Besides, there are some restrictions on using posters and writing on walls.
The electoral code of conduct took effect automatically with announcement of the polls sched-uleonjune20.
However, the commission ignored the political parties' involvement in the nomination phase. It said it did so deliberately to help create an atmosphere for elections.
Once the deadline for withdrawing candidature is over on July 13, the ROs might be asked to convene a meeting and ask the candidates to comply with the code of conduct.
MAYORAL DEBATES
For the first time in its history, the EC will organise electoral debates to give the mayoral candidates an opportunity to speak about their plans and policies.
Voters will be allowed to participate in the debates and ask the runners questions on local issues.
The state-run television and radio stations will broadcast the events live from the city corporations, sources in the EC Secretariat said.
Of the four debates, the first one will be held in Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) on July 15.
Chief Election Commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda and two other election commissioners--Muhammed Sohul Hussain and Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hussain--are expected to attend the opening programme.
The debate in Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) is scheduled for July 21, Khulna City Corporation (KCC) July 26 and Barisal City Corporation (BCC) on July 30.
The number of mayoral candidates in SCC stands at 21, in RCC 18, in KCC 15 and in BCC 14.