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TOFAIL-EC
AL sticks to make polls unquestionable: Tofail
DHAKA, Jan 11, 2020 (BSS) – Awami League Advisory Council Member Tofail Ahmed today said the AL will not do anything that can make the Dhaka city corporations elections questionable.
He said this to journalists after attending a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda at the Nirbachan Bhaban at Agargaon here.
Tofail, also chief coordinator of AL’s election supervising committee for DNCC, said they held a constructive and fruitful discussion with the EC and the party will extend all-out support to the commission to hold a free, fair and acceptable election.
“As we are the ruling party, we will not do anything that can make the polls questionable. We have talked about level-playing field,” he said.
He said the EC has made it clear that the MPs can hold in-door meetings at their respective offices and also at different localities, but they cannot seek votes.
“We agreed that the MPs cannot take part in election campaigns,” he said.
Tofail said the electoral code of conduct mentions that very important persons–prime minister, parliament speaker, minister, chief whip, deputy speaker, opposition leader, deputy leader of the House, deputy leader of the opposition, state minister, whip, deputy minister or person with equivalent rank and status, member of parliament (MP) and city corporation mayor– cannot take part in election campaigns.
“Former minister Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim and AL Joint General Secretary Mahbubul-Alam Hanif are important persons. BNP leaders Mirza Abbas and Goyeshwar Chandra Roy are former ministers. They are also important persons. Barrister Moudud Ahmed was even the prime minister and the acting president. He is also an important person,” he said.
If the formers ministers and MPs of BNP can partake in the election campaigns, how it is justified that the ruling party ministers and lawmakers cannot join the campaign, he questioned.
Tofail said the explanation of election code of conduct is tantamount to self-contradictory.
He said: “Beneficiary means office of profit. But we the MPs do not enjoy it.
Prime minister, speaker, minister and whip enjoy it. In the past the commission took an initiative to amend the electoral laws but it had not been possible. Right now we also do not want the change. We accept the law,” he added.
About the use of EVMs, Tofail said they don’t have any problem whether EVMs are used in the election or not.
Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) and Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) elections will be held on January 30.
BSS/MSH/MKD/KU/2046 HRS