The New Nation - Internet Edition

Shahidul Islam

With the Awami League and BNP reformist group announcing their plans to take part in the coming elections to the local government bodies, including the city corporations, the participation of all political parties in the polls brighten yesterday.

Awami League (AL) Acting President Zillur Rahman was first to make the announcement on Friday while BNP Acting Secretary General Major (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed yesterday.

Although Acting Office Secretary of anti-reform faction of the BNP Rizvee Ahmed termed holding the local government polls before the general elections unconstitutional, he said the group would take a decision on the issue after the release of party Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain from hospital.

Sources close to both the AL and the BNP yesterday told The New Nation that they would contest the local government (city corporations and major paurashava) elections unitedly along with their respective alliance partners.

The AL would contest the polls on the 14-party alliance platform if the grand alliance remains intact against the backdrop of the new political reality.

A top leader of the reformist group of the BNP told this Correspondent that some other political parties, including Bikalpa Dhara, might join them in addition to most components of the four-party alliance. He, however, refused to divulge as to which component or components might not join them in local body polls.

The elections to the local government bodies are scheduled to begin from April and conclude within October next year (2008) according to the Election Roadmap announced earlier by the Election Commission (EC). The general elections will be held within December the same year.

Formally the local government elections are not held on the basis of party identity of the candidates but the major political parties field candidates in the city corporation elections and carryout electioneering on the basis of their respective political identities.

Political observers in the capital are of the opinion that both factions of the BNP would participate in the local government elections, particularly in the city corporations, either unitedly or separately for their own existence. Any election participated by the BNP and the AL will force all other political parties, who believe in electoral politics, to join the fray, they said.

It would be difficult for the political parties to boycott the national election once they participate in the local government elections, they added.

Making the announcement at regular press briefing yesterday BNP Acting Secretary General Major (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed said they would field candidates for the city corporations elections although the polls were held on the non-party basis.

AL Acting President Zillur Rahman said his party would soon start taking organisational preparations for polls to the local government bodies.