ZCZC
BSS-47
EC-PETITIONS
543 candidates submit petitions to EC challenging RO’s decisions
DHAKA, Dec 05, 2018 (BSS)- A total of 543 candidates submitted petitions to the Election Commission in stipulated three days till today challenging the decisions of returning officers (ROs) over the cancellation and acceptance of nomination papers to contest the 11th parliamentary election.
Of them, 84 petitions were submitted on December 8, 237 on December 4 and 222 Wednesday, said Election Commission (EC) Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed while briefing reporters this evening.
He said the EC will start hearing and make instant disposal of the petitions from 10 am Thursday and all appeals will be settled by December 8.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda, Election Commissioners Mahbub Talukder, Md. Rafiqul Islam, Begum Kabita Khanam and Brigadier General (Retd) Shahdat Hossain will hear the petitions. EC Secretary Helaluddin Ahmed will also present there.
Most of the petitions were against the rejection of nomination papers while a few against the acceptance, Ahmed said.
“Some 160 petitions will be disposed of on Thursday maintaining the serials of the appeals while 150 on Friday and the remaining 233 will be sorted out on Saturday,” he said.
The EC will hand over a copy of its decision on a petition instantly after its disposal, he said.
The commission, the quasi-judicial body, has already set up the hearing room at Nirbachan Bhaban.
During scrutiny, returning officers on Sunday accepted a total of 2,279 nomination papers and turned down 786 submitted in 300 constituencies across the country to contest the 11th national election slated for December 30.
The last date for the withdrawal of candidature is December 9 and the electoral symbols will be distributed among the contesting candidates on December 10.
The election campaign will be allowed to be conducted after the allocation of the symbols.
BSS/Asg/MSH/PSB/KU/2051 HRS