The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The election fever has gripped the four city corporations and nine Pourashabha areas as emergency rules were relaxed in view of mayoral and Pourashabha polls scheduled to be held on August 4.

The Awami League, the key contender in the phased out local government polls has planned to form monitoring committee to help their undeclared party candidates to contest the election.

The monitoring committee will be manned by their central and district leaders who will directly help their candidates to conduct election campaign, Matia Chowdhury, a presidium member of Awami League said. The Awami League central leaders have also decided to visit the four city corporation areas to contain rebel leaders.

The BNP has not yet decided whether to contest the phased out local government polls or not. But unofficially their party leaders are participating in City Corporation or Pourashaba polls in large number. It appeared that the party Supremos either in jail or outside the country are having the last word in determining the party's course of action.

The major political parties of the country are manifestly taking part in the city corporation and Pourashaba elections.

Under the local government election rules political parties cannot directly participate in the local government elections.

Political watchers observed that the activities of the political parties regarding the up-coming City Corporation and pourasava polls are opposed to the spirit of the Constitution and the pourasava and city corporation regulations. According to the Constitution, the local Government elections are non-party ones. The key political parties have set candidates in the mayoral polls who are holding party positions in their respective districts.

The 14-party candidates for mayoral polls are Talukder Abdul Khaleque (Khulna), Shawkat Hossain Hiron (Barisal), Badaruddin Ahmed Kamran (Sylhet) are out and out partisan political activists in their respective districts.

Apparently local government polls are heavily infested by political parties as observers hint, are being dictated by their leaders either from inside the jail or from outside the country.

The political leaders said they were warming up for the national elections likely to be held at the end of the year. The local Government poll is a prelude to the national election. The Election Commission said, under the present legal framework they were handicapped to deal with the situation.

The local Government polls supposed to be localised ones. But the candidates are being informally set from the party headquarters. The policy making body in Dhaka of each political party is holding meeting one after another for nominating partisan elements.

The City Corporation and pourasava polls scheduled to be held on August 4 are non political in character. The use of political party offices is also prohibited under the rules.

Prof Muzaffer said, the political parties appeared to have taken it as a dress rehearsal for the coming national polls. After winning the election, they will deny the graft charge filed against them, he said.

By the way, Badaruddin Kamran, former mayor of Sylhet, who is under detention under graft charge has also been nominated by Awami League to contest the upcoming mayoral election of the Sylhet city. Fighting election from detention is an attempt to win sympathy of the voters on the one hand and if elected then to obviously prove himself innocent from the graft charges on the other hand.

Chief Election Commissioner Shamsul Huda said, "The response is beyond imagination and we are very happy,".

He said whatever might be the party line, all the political parties are joining the poll although one party spoke of boycotting. The augury of the campaign is encouraging and till now there are no reports of violation of the code of conduct for the election, he added.

Dr Huda said the Election Commission (EC) has taken all precautionary measures to ensure law and order during the election process so that the voters are not frightened by muscle power and the black money is not used by the candidates like in the past.

Describing the mayoral election as a 'test case', the CEC expressed the hope that if everything goes well and the poll is held smoothly then the arrangements for the next Jatiya Sangsad election will be much better.

Altogether 46 candidates are contesting for the mayoral post in the four city corporations while 59 are running for the same post in the nine pourasabhas. Besides, 752 candidates are vying for the position of general ward councillors and 194 others for the post of reserved women ward councillors in the four city corporations.

In the nine pourasabhas, 120 candidates are contesting for the post of reserved women ward councillors and 429 for the position of general ward councillors.

Meanwhile, reports from Barisal said soon after receiving their respective election symbols the mayoral candidates launched open campaign right from the day one visiting the doorsteps of the voters.

Among these candidates, Advocate Shawkat Hossain Hiron, former mayor and expelled BNP leader Ahsan Habib Kamal, BNP leader and chamber president Ebaidul Huq Chand and Nagarik Parishad president Advocate Enayet Pir Khan began their formal campaign yesterday. They launched their campaign from different parts of Barisal city.

Many candidates are happy because of ban on colourful posters and writing on the wall. This they said will reduce their election expenditure. However, a few councillor candidates said this time they will have to put extra labour.

Another report from Rajshahi said mayoral candidates including Awami League led 14-alliance nominated AHM Khairuzzaman Liton, rebel Awami League candidate Masudul Haque Dulu, four BNP leaders Rejaun Nabi Dudu, Enamul Haque, Musaddeque Hossain Bulbul and Siddiqur Rahman, Jatiya Party leader Durul Huda, Bikalpadhara Bangladesh nominee Akhtaruzzaman Bablu, PDP leader Advocate Raihanur Rahman Raihan and BSD nominee Ruhul Quddus Tunu began their open campaign.

Many of the mayoral and councillor candidates were seen busy meeting people braving the monsoon rains.

Mayoral candidate Masudul Haque Dulu arranged a discussion titled "Corruption, terrorism, black money and politicization- free mayor election" at the Rajshahi city's Uttara Community Center.

Action on Disability and Development (ADD) held a press conference in Rajshahi with a call to ensure a congenial atmosphere so that the disabled persons could cast their votes smoothly.

In Sylhet, soon after the allocations of symbols the supporters of mayoral candidates started raising slogans in favour of their respective candidates in various places in the city.

The candidates too also launched strong campaign yesterday with holding rallies and bringing out processions taking permission from the district administration.

Many voters appreciated the new method of campaign avoiding the unnecessary trouble created by the use of microphone and much fanfare.

Formal launching of election campaign by the mayoral and councillor candidates was also reported from Khulna.