The government is thinking of allowing candidates for the local government election to use different symbols under party nomination. Though city corporation elections will still be under party symbols.
Two issues are being discussed: the chance to take part in election as an independent candidate and allocating alternative symbols aside from party ones.
Two Awami League (AL) senior leaders have said that handing out separate symbols won’t create any problems.
But in this case, a change has to be brought in the local government law and a new clause added under ‘symbol for local government’.
Some feel that for such a decision, opinion from political parties will be needed.
An influential minister of the government has said that giving more than one symbol indicates to dual policy.
The government has one and a half years to hold the municipal election; the last one was at the end of 2015 and the next one will be in 2020 with union parishad election in 2021.
This means that the government will get more than one year to amend local government laws.
Former election commissioner, Abdul Mobarak, told Bangla Tribune, “If the government wants then the law can be amended to include the clause for using new symbols for local government election.”
Law minister Anisul Huq told Bangla Tribune, “Until a new decision is taken about symbols, elections will be held under the existing laws.”
Election commission secretary, Helaluddin Ahmed said, “The local government election rule states that election will be under party symbol; but the party has the last word and can decide to refrain from giving the party symbol to a candidate.”