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Shamim, Ivy told to sort it out

PM reacts as talk fails again to resolve N'ganj city polls nomination standoff

Star Report
Unsuccessful for the third time in pulling out any of the two Awami League affiliated mayoral candidates from Narayanganj City Corporation elections, party presi-
dent Sheikh Hasina yesterday asked Shamim Osman and Selina Hayat Ivy to settle the issue by tomorrow.
“The party chief advised the two to decide on one candidate,” Mahbubul
Alam Hanif, acting general secretary of the ruling Awami League (AL), told The Daily Star last night after emerging from a meeting at Gono Bhaban where Shamim and Ivy separately went to meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina seeking her blessing.
However, preferring anonymity a highly placed source close to the premier told The Daily Star last night that considering all aspects, AL will opt for keeping the field open for both the candidates -- a stance the party earlier adopted.
Contacted, AL presidium member Obaidul Quader, who was also present in the meeting, said, "Wait and see till October 12, the deadline forcandidacy withdrawal."
He said that they will follow the election code of conduct to make the party's stance clear. He however declined to comment further on the matter.
Sources said Hanif will sit with the Election Commission (EC) today to discuss whether his party can support any candidate openly. If the EC speaks against it and the candidates stay rigid about contesting the polls, both of them will vie in the polls.
Earlier on Sunday, AL informally opted to reward Shamim if he agreed to quit the mayoral race. But sources said both the candidates yesterday expressed firm determination to the premier to vie in the polls.
Earlier on October 2, premier's first round of talks with Shamim and Ivy came out unfruitful. Since then many formal and informal talks took place between the AL rank and file and the two aspirants, but to no avail.
Both Ivy and Shamim expect party backing as single candidate to contest the polls but AL is yet to provide open support to any of them. AL insiders said the party chief have become annoyed with both of them for their rigid stance to vie in the poll.
Talking to The Daily Star, Ivy, a vice-president of the Narayanganj town AL unit, also expressed confidence over getting party backing as a single candidate.
Meanwhile, Taimur Alam Khondaker, the opposition BNP-backed mayor aspirant in the NCC polls, yesterday opposed the use of electronic voting machines (EVM).
His objection came after the Election Commission decided to use EVMs in one-third of the poll centres — nine out of 27 centres — yesterday in a bid to modernise election management.
“I have no idea on how EVMs work and believe that so haven't the people of Narayanganj. That is why, I strongly opposed the system," Taimur toldThe Daily Star.
He said he has already conveyed his objection to Election Commissioner M Sakhawat Hossain and will launch a formal application against the system when it feels necessary.
Taimur and his supporters were yesterday seen campaigning in full swing using megaphones at different spots of the municipality.
On the other hand, the campaigners and supporters of Shamim Osman were seen not campaigning and silent about party backing. Despite a number of attempts over the phone The Daily Star could not reach Shamim for his comments. However, several local AL leaders, who are close to him, said they did not get any directive from him on what to do if he does not get the party nod.
The local AL leaders demanded that the party resolves the issue of backing soon.
Meanwhile, the EC yesterday decided to deploy additional forces to beef up security in Narayanganj City Corporation area for holding the election peacefully on October30.
Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), Police, Ansar and coast guard personnel will remain vigilant in election areas for five days from October 28, Election Commissioner Sakhawat Hossain told reporters after a meeting at the EC secretariat in the capital. A team will be deployed in each poll centre for video surveillance, he added.
He said members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) will not be deployed for poll duty as many of its members are engaged in the 2009 mutiny trials.
Asked about army deploy-
ment in the election, the election commissioner parried the question saying, “AU options are open."
Sakhawat said the EC asked the local returning officer (RO) to warn local lawmaker Nasim Osman, brother of mayor aspirant Shamim, once again for violating the election code of conduct. He was warned on similar offences earlier.
Contacted, officials of the local RO's office said they were examining the audio record of Nasim Osman to ascertain how he violated the election code on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Narayanganj district law and order committee at a meeting yesterday decided to take all necessary steps to conduct the upcoming poll in a free, fair and peaceful manner.