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Upazila Polls Campaign

Sitting chairmen barred from state facilities

Pankaj karmakar
The incumbent chairmen and vice-chairmen of upazila parishads cannot enjoy government facilities in election campaigning if they contest the upcomingupazilla polls.
The Election Commission (EC) has moved to impose the restriction in its proposal to amend the electoral code of conduct for upazila parishad elections.
"The candidates will not be able to use offices or vehicles of upazila parishad in electoral campaigns or activities,” the amendment reads.
Besides, they are not allowed to participate in any activity or programme of union parishads, municipalities, educational institutions and government, non-government and autonomous bodies including the NGOs, according to the proposed changes.
The commission has finalised the draft of the amendments and sent it to the law ministry for vetting yesterday, EC officials said.
"These provisions are absent in the existing code of conduct. This time, we have included these for ensuring a level-playing field for all the candidates," said a deputy secretary of the EC secretariat, preferring anonymity.
The EC says ensuring a fair and credible polls is the sole aim of the changes. "We think that the elections will be participatory and inclusive. Huge numbers of candidates loyal to different political parties will contest the polls. So, we want to make the elections free, fair and credible," an election commissioner told The Daily Star last night. He, too, wished not be named.
Elections to 87 upazila parishads out of487 will be held on February 19 in the first phase and to another 117 on February 27 in the second phase. Polls to the rest of the upazilas are likely to be held in different phases over the next few months.
The last election to 479 upazila parishads was held on January 22, 2009. The tenure of more than 106 upazila parishads is set to expire in February. Two twenty three upazila parishads will complete their tenure in March, 35 in April, 85 in May, 18 in June and the rest between July and September this year, EC secretariat officials said.
As per the electoral laws, polls to the upazila parishads are held within 180 days before their tenure expires. Chances are high that a number of sitting chairmen and vice-chairmen of the upzila parishads will contest the polls.
According to the changes, the candidates will be allowed to use loudspeaker for electioneering only between 2:00pm and 8:00pm, one hour less than what the existing laws permit.
About voters' slip, the amendment says candidates will not be allowed to distribute voters' slip without mentioning the name of printing press, its address and printing date.
The slip will contain only the candidate’s name, photograph, name of post, symbol, name of voter and their father, mother or husband's name, address, voter no and name of polling centre. Nothing else is allowed to be mentioned in the slip.
Besides, the size of the voter slip must not exceed 12 centimetres in length and eight centimetres in width, according to the proposed amendment.