Chief Electoral Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda has said MPs will not be able to act as coordinator in the upcoming Dhaka North and South City Corporation elections.
A delegation, led by Tofail Ahmed, the head of the Awami League's North City election, held a meeting with CEC KM Nurul Huda at conference room of EC on Saturday (Jan. 11) at 11:30 a.m. After the meeting, the CEC spoke to reporters.
Asked as Tofail Ahmed and Amir Hossain Amu have been appointed as the co-coordinators of the two upcoming city elections so they cannot stay being MP. However, there is no official information to us who is on the coordination committee. But how do I tell you what they would do at home?
Responding to the question of whether MPs could seek votes for a candidate, he said that they cannot not have any involvement in the elections; otherwise they would do everything regarding the election. There is no scope to make them inactive beyond election. They cannot even make any coordination of the election activities. They cannot do any election activity, whether inside house or outside, according to the rules. We have explained it to them. The Prime Minister, the Ministers, the MPs have restrictions on the elections. They cannot speak on behalf or against any candidate.
Replying to the question of whether MPs could be with the candidate, he said there is no restriction on the law whether MPs can accompany the candidate. MPs can move with the candidates but they cannot talk about elections. As the political activities are being held in Mujib Borsho, any gathering can be held there, everyone can go there. There will be no campaign, you cannot ask for votes.
Election Commissioner Mahbub Talukder on behalf of CEC, Brigadier General (Retd) Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury, Md. Rafiqul Islam, Begum Kabita Khanam and Returning Officer of North City Md. Abul Qasim were present.
Among others the Awami League delegation included Awami League presidium member Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim MP, Joint General Secretary Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif MP, Organizing Secretary Mirza Azam MP and Joydev Nandi of DNCC Media Cell.