The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Dr ATM Shamsul Huda yesterday expressed his disappointment over what he said insufficient number of quality candidates in the ensuing local government elections to four city corporations and nine pourasabhas.

"We are disappointed since there is not many qualified candidates in the city corporation and pourasabha polls as we expected," he said while talking to reporters at his office yesterday.

The CEC, however, hoped that the situation would improve during the ensuing upazila and national polls.

He said all concerned, including political parties, need to contribute to this process through nominating acceptable candidates and the general public should also come up with good candidates.

"Those who are good candidates should also come forward to play a role in this regard," he observed.

The CEC said there was no lack of publicity to inspire good people to come up, but the overall result has failed to meet the expectations.

He said the Commission expects that more professional and enlightened persons having administrative experiences would come forward to contest the city corporation elections.

Terming the ensuing local government elections as non-partisan, the CEC said the country's good people could have availed of the opportunity, but they did not.

The CEC expressed happiness over broader compliance of candidates with the election rules.

Mentioning that there are a number of allegations like submitting nomination papers by identified terrorists and corrupt people providing wrong and incomplete information in the affidavits he said steps would be taken against them immediately.

Replying to a question on the demand for publication of information about the candidates, he said it was not possible to make information public.

The CEC, however, said the Commission is gradually publishing information about the candidates finally nominated.