MUNICIPAL POLLS CODE VIOLATION : Complaints go mostly unheeded [ Tritiyo Matra News ]

MUNICIPAL POLLS CODE VIOLATION : Complaints go mostly unheeded

Local December 18, 2015

Most of the complaints raised by the candidates about violation of electoral code of conduct and other offences in electioneering for the December 30 municipal polls go unheeded with the Election Commission taking no effective measures to curb such violations.
The commission so far formed a probe committee to investigate an allegation raised by Bangladesh Nationalist Party mayoral candidate for Chatkhil municipality Mustafa Kamal while it received at least 40 complaints in the past 13 days since December 3, commission officials said.
In most of the cases, the commission took measure on its own and asked returning officers to take actions against the people involved in violating electoral code of conducts in the elections to 234 municipal councils.
Some returning offices said that they felt helpless when the commission, instead of taking any action, asked them to take action against ministers and lawmakers for violating the rules.
The returning officer for Laksham municipality, Delower Hossain, made a phone call to commission deputy secretary Samsul Alam on Thursday to know what he should do when local ruling Awami League lawmaker Tajul Islam was participating in electioneering of AL mayoral candidate Abul Khayer.
Samsul Alam asked him to send a letter to the lawmaker attaching a copy of electoral code of conduct, a commission official said.
Election commissioner Md Shah Newaz said that the commission was gradually taking necessary action on the allegations. ‘We are taking action based on impotence of the complaints…All complaints are not acceptable,’ he added.
The commission on December 15 formed a committee to investigate an allegation lodged by BNP mayoral candidate for Chatkhil municipality Mustafa Kamal, commission officials said.
Mustafa Kamal in the complaint alleged that he was forced to withdraw his candidature as local Awami League leaders and activists laid siege to his house with fire arms.
The commission on Thursday asked 13 more returning officers to explain what action they had taken against the people who allegedly flouted electoral code of conducts, a commission deputy secretary said.
Earlier on December 15, the commission asked 17 returning officers to explain the actions they had taken against ministers, lawmakers and mayoral candidates who allegedly violated electoral code of conduct.
Sushasoner Jonno Nagarik secretary Badiul Alam Majumdar told New Age that the commission was trying to shift its responsibility to the returning officers asking them to take action against the alleged offenders as most cases the errant people were politically powerful.
‘It will be a risky job for the returning officers and taking action against ministers and lawmakers would not be possible for the field-level officers,’ he said.
At least five AL lawmakers including a minister campaigned for AL mayoral candidates violating commission’s order while attending Victory Day programmes on Wednesday.
Commission’s monitoring cell forwarded a file to the chief election commissioner on Thursday with allegation of violation of electoral code of conduct against lawmakers and candidates at places on the on Wednesday.
New Age correspondent in Narsingdi reported that Narsingdi district Awami League executive committee suspended rebel AL candidate SM Kaiyum.
New Age correspondent in Jessore reported that a court on Thursday sent independent mayoral candidate for Chaugachha municipality Kamal Ahmed to jail after he surrendered to the court in a case filed by police on November 26 after he collected a nomination paper.
In Chandpur, returning officer Ataur Rahman notified independent mayoral candidate for Hajigonj municipality Omar Faruk Chowdhury on Thursday asking for explanation by 5:00pm today for pasting posters in a billboard on Comilla-Chandpur highway.
In Noakhali, Begumganj returning officer Mohammad Monir Hossain seized 500 packets of food from AL-backed councillor candidate for Chowmuhani municipality Abdul Matin on Tuesday night.
In Barguna, two BNP mayoral candidates for Barguna and Patharghata municipalities SM Nazrul Islam and Mollik M Ayuon respectively on Thursday demanded deployment of army during the election.
At a press conference at Barguna Press Club, they alleged that ruling AL candidates and its rebel AL candidates were violating the electoral code and creating obstacles to other party candidates.