AL struggling with rebels, BNP with cancellations

The ruling Awami League is busy in confirming withdrawal of candidature of rebel candidates in 70 constituencies while the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party is struggling with cancellation of nomination papers of prominent leaders, including jailed BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia.
BNP is also struggling to ensure presence in constituencies, where the returning officers cancelled nominations of all of its candidates for the general election scheduled for December 30. 
AL already started dealing with its rebel candidates and asking them over phone to confirm the withdrawal of their candidatures in at least 70 of the 300 constituencies by December 8, party leaders said on Monday. 
The party would also send letters to the dissenting candidates, if necessary, for confirmation of the withdrawal.
‘About 70 AL leaders have become rebels. We would ask them to withdraw candidature by December 8,’ AL general secretary Obaidul Quader at a briefing at AL president’s Dhanmondi office.
‘Leaders who would violate party whip would be expelled for life,’ he warned.
The Awami League is continued to face trouble as in most of the 70 constituencies and in some districts, including Barguna, Pabna, Patuakhali and Rajshahi, the party candidates were facing strong opposition from senior and influential local leaders and their supporters. 
At least four AL activists were killed and scores were injured in intra-party clashes in Dhaka, Rajshahi and Pabna in past few days caused by disputes over party candidates. 
BNP was assessing the situation on Monday after cancellation of candidature of about 80 party-nominated candidates, including at least 10 central and prominent leaders.
The party continued efforts to find out ways for ensuring presence in constituencies where nominations of all of its candidates were cancelled in scrutiny on Sunday.
Following the cancellation of the nominations, the party has no candidate in at least six constituencies — Dhaka 1, Bogura 7, Manikganj 2, Sunamganj 3, Jamalpur 4 and Sariatpur 1
BNP standing committee discussed the issues in a meeting at BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan office Monday evening. 
The party asked the candidates concerned to avail legal recourses, including appeal to the Election Commission against the cancellation of their nominations. 
BNP likely to support candidates of like-minded parties or independent ones in the constituencies, where it would have no candidate after the legal battles even, party leaders said.
The party was in touch with independent candidates, including Jatiya Party lawmaker Salma Islam for Dhaka 1.
BNP vice-chairman Shamsuzzman Dudu told New Age on Monday that the party would search for ‘suitable and like-minded candidates, who are in fighting positions, for extending support in respective constituencies.’ 
The returning officers cancelled all the three nomination papers filed by Khaleda for Feni 1 and Bogura 6 and 7 citing her convictions and sentences for more than two years in two cases. 
At least 84 aggrieved aspirants on Monday appealed to the Election Commission.
On the first day of three-day timeframe for appeal, BNP aspirants Mir Mohammad Nasiruddin of Chattogram 5, Golam Maula Rony of Patuakhali 3, Khandaker Abu Ashfaq of Dhaka 1, Khorshed Milton of Bogura 7 and Abdul Wadud Bhuiyan of Khagrachhari, and Gono Forum aspirant Reza Kibira for Habiganj 1 were among those who filed appeals.
Of the 84 appeals, 81 were filed against the rejection of nomination papers and the rest one was filed against the acceptance of nomination papers, according to commission records.
Independent aspirant Imran H Sarkar for Kurigram 4 came to the commission secretariat in Dhaka on Monday to know the procedure of filing appeal as his nomination was also cancelled.
Commission secretary Helaluddin Ahmad told reporters on Monday that the rejected candidates would need to appeal with the commission, the Appellate Authority, by Wednesday.
He said that even if any aspirant was not happy with the commission’s decision, they could go to the High Court.
The returning officers, during the scrutiny on Sunday, rejected 786 nomination papers and accepted 2,279.
Only aggrieved candidates or banks can file appeals with the commission by 5:00 pm on Wednesday challenging the decision of the returning officers.
An aspirant or authorised person can submit the appeal.
Seven copies of each application, including the main one, will have to be submitted.
The commission will dispose of the appeals by December 8 following hearings to be held at the commission secretariat in December 6-8.
Any candidate may withdraw the candidature by December 9 and the returning officers will allocate electoral symbols to the candidates on December 10.
Immediate after getting electoral symbols allocated, the candidates will be allowed to conduct campaigns.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net