The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The two major political parties-Awami League and BNP-may allow their local leaders' indirect participation in the local body elections in order to consolidate their respective organisational machineries, while maintaining non-participation stance at the central level owing to the pressure of their grassroots leaders, party insiders said this, while talking to The New Nation yesterday.

Local level leaders of all political parties, except Jamaat-e-Islami, are in election mood and many of influential Awami League (AL) and BNP leaders have started pre-election campaigns in the four city corporations and nine-pourashavas, where polls schedules have been announced with August 4 as the simultaneous polling date.

On the other many of the central leaders of the BNP and AL are in favour of participation for three reasons-1) a boycott will affect the local party machinery, triggering demobilisation and internal conflicts and 2) to have a first hand experience as to what would be the quality and nature of the next general election under the present Caretaker Government on the basis of first voters' list with photographs and voters' ID card and 3) a resistance to the local polls is almost impossible with organisational set up that has already been considerably weaken due to the anti-corruption campaign.

Meanwhile, Barisal Nagorik Committee, the AL-led 14-party alliance's citizens' body, yesterday formally announced Advocate Enayet Pir Khan as its mayoral candidate in the city corporation elections. Enayet Pir Khan had also contested the previous polls as the 14-party alliance candidate against BNP-led four-party alliance nominee and detained incumbent Mayor Mujibur Rahman Sarwar, who could not take part this year due to conviction in graft case.

"The formal announcement for the Barisal City Corporation polls should be treated as the Awami League stance," an influential AL Presidium member said, adding that the party's Central Working Committee (ALCWC) would take formal decision on local polls on Thursday (June 26).

He said Workers' Party central leader Fazle Hossain Badsha is going to be the 14-party alliance candidate, which he was during the last City Corporation polls, for Rajshahi City Mayor. "Incumbent Mayor Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran will be candidate for Sylhet city if there is no legal problem, while the Central Working Committee will finalise the nominee Khulna city."

When contacted,. Khulna city AL leader and former Minister Talukder Abdul Khalek said the local party is fully prepared to participate in the polls. "I will contest for Mayor and waiting for the party clearance. The party will be loser if boycotts the polls."

AL Acting General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam made cautious remark as he was approached for a comment. "We don't want to go back to January 11 (2007) situation. We want a free, fair and credible elections," he said, advising to wait for the ALCWC meeting.

Local BNP leaders-Khulna City Committee General Secretary Nazrul Islam Manju, former General Secretary of Rajshahi district Qumarul Munir, General Secretary of Barisal district BNP Ebaidul Haq Chan and former president of Sylhet district unit MA Haque and present general secretary Nasim Hossain, who are vying for the mayoral candidature, yesterday told The New Nation that they have requested BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain revise his decision to boycott the local body polls.

Otherwise, the BNP will suffer a great loss and lost its command in Rajshahi, Barisal and Khulna, where party candidates-Mizanur Rahman Minu, Mujbur Rahman Sarwar and Shaikh Tayebur Rahman respectively were elected City Mayor during the previous polls. "None of this three incumbent Mayors will be able to contest this time since they were convicted in graft case. We should participate in the polls," Ebaidul Haq Chan opined.

Besides, BNP Chairperson's Adviser Brig Gen (retd) ASM Hannan Shah is strongly advocating for joining the local body polls.

Sources close to BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain, who has already called for building resistance against the local body polls, is expected to discuss the issue with detained party Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia today, when she is scheduled for a court appearance.

"The BNP Secretary General will finalise his decision as per Begum Zia's directive and observing the outcome of the ALCWC," he said.