The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Elections to Rajshahi, Khulna, Sylhet and Barisal City Corporations will be held at the end of April next instead of March as the SSC examinations across the country have been advanced to March due to the recent cyclone, said Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hussain on Monday.

He, however, told journalists that the Election Commission would request the government, when it deems necessary, to create an appropriate environment (lifting of emergency) for holding the local body elections.

Sakhawat said this when the reporters asked about Adviser Mainul Hosein's Sunday's remarks that the caretaker government would discuss lifting of state of emergency if the EC asks for it.

"We don't want to call it state of emergency… We'll request the government, whenever it'll be necessary, to create a suitable atmosphere for facilitating the local body elections," he said.

About the delay in holding the local body election he said, "We were always determined to hold city corporation elections in March (2008). But due to Sidr, the SSC examinations have been advanced to March, which will conclude on April 22. So, our schedule has also been delayed naturally," Sakhawat told the journalists.

He was briefing the newsmen after visiting voter-listing centres at Kakoli High School and Dhanmondi Govt Girls' High School in Dhanmondi.

Sakhawat said schools and schoolteachers are needed to set up polling stations and make polling officials. "So, the EC has planned to hold RCC, KCC, SCC and BCC elections in March 2008."

The tenures of Rajshahi and Khulna City Corporations already expired on June 16 and 26 this year respectively while that of Sylhet and Barisal would expired on May 5 and 9 next year respectively.

According to rules, City Corporation elections have to be held 180 days ahead of expiry of the tenure and if not held in time, the incumbent mayors and commissioners would perform the duties until the first meeting of the next corporation.

"Holding of Dhaka City Corporation election won't be possible in April. We'll hold it separately," Sakhawat said when asked if the EC would also hold the DCC election in April.

The tenure of DCC expired on May 14 this year, but the field- level task of its voter listing is still going on while the voter lists of RCC, KCC, SCC and BCC are almost at the final stage.

Meanwhile, 1.74 crore voters have been registered across the country as of December 19.

Sakhawat said there is no direct involvement of political parties in local body elections, "but in our country the practice is still on. "That's why we'll ask the government so that the parties can run their activities."