DCC poll by Mar 25

Schedule within February 20
The election to the Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) will be held sometime between March 18 and March 25 this year, sources in the Election Commission (EC) said yesterday. 
The commission will announce the poll schedule by February 20, the sources added.
According to the draft poll schedule, the aspirants will have to submit their nomination papers to the commission during the period between February 22 and February 25 while scrutiny of nomination papers will be held between February 28 and March 2.
The candidates will have to withdraw their candidature from March 4 to March 8, the sources said.
Election Commissioner M Sohul Hussain said yesterday that the EC would announce the poll schedule this week and all necessary measures would be taken to hold the election in a free and fair manner.
“Adequate number of law enforcers will be deployed during the DCC election so that no one can create any trouble on the voting day,” Sohul added.
The election commissioner said that the gazette of the electoral code of conduct for the city corporations would be published soon and the poll schedule would be announced shortly after publishing the gazette.
Even though the tenure of DCC expired on May 14, 2007, the poll couldn’t be held as the EC was busy with holding the 9th parliamentary election and upazila election.
Besides, the Parliament in its first session didn’t pass the City Corporation Ordinance promulgated by the immediate-past caretaker government.
The EC started taking preparation for holding the DCC poll after the Parliament had passed the City Corporation Act recently.
The sources said that as part of its strategy to reduce the election expenditure of the candidates and compel them to abide by electoral code of conduct, the EC will give them short time for electioneering.
The EC is, however, going to introduce electronic voting system for the first time during the DCC poll. The electronic voting machine (EVM) will be set up at a ward in Dhanmondi.
But people, if they feel it difficult for them to cast vote with using the EVM, they can cast vote following the traditional voting system.
The EC had already received the printed copy of the updated electoral roll and completed the process of collecting the electoral materials including indelible ink, seals and stamp pads, the sources said.

Courtesy of The Independent