Says EC Sakhawat
Unb, Dhaka
Ruling out any political consideration on deferring upazila polls in the changed situation, the Election Commission (EC) confidently goes ahead with preparation for holding the upazila elections on schedule.
Talking to reporters yesterday, Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain said the upcoming upazila elections will be held as per the poll schedule declared by the commission with January 22 as the date for voting.
“The date for upazila election is already fixed. There’s no scope for changing it,” he said replying to a question.
Asked whether the EC would defer the upazila polls if the newly elected Awami League government requests, he said the commission might not consider the request in this regard.
The Election Commissioner made it clear that the commission had changed several times the schedule for parliamentary elections to ensure participation of all political parties but this should not be necessary in the upazila polls.
Sakhawat said the local government will conduct the upazila polls according to the direction of the Election Commission. “We’ll only give direction in this regard.”
“After withdrawal of the candidatures, the election symbols will be locally given from today,” he said. Yesterday was the last date for withdrawal of nomination papers.
Sakhawat said the Election Commission will hold a press conference today to apprise the countrymen of the recently held ninth parliamentary election.
A total of 8,896 candidates have submitted their nomination papers to the returning officers concerned to contest the polls in 481 upazilas for chairman, vice-chairman and female vice-chairman posts.
Courtesy: thedailystar.net
