The Election Commission has lifted the restriction on MP’s taking part in the campaigns for city corporation election.
On Thursday, the Commission approved the City Corporation (election code of conduct) Rules 2018, which, however, needs to be vetted by the law ministry.
"Since parliament membership is not an office of profit, the definition of VIPs will not include lawmakers," EC secretary Helaluddin Ahmed told the media after the commission’s meeting.
Replying to a query, he said the chances of implementing the amended code of conduct in the upcoming polls to the Gazipur City Corporation were low.
“The schedule has been already announced and the voting is slated for Jun 26. The possibilities are very slim,” said Ahmed.
Elaborating on the decision to allow MPs, he said that the lawmakers do not use vehicles provided by the government or do not get to appoint staffer on government payroll. “That’s why they have been excluded.”
Asked whether the decision was based on proposals by the ruling party, the EC official described the Awami League as one of its stakeholders. “They forward a lot of proposals. The EC considers those, which it finds logical.”
The EC has proposed to bring 11 amendments to the city corporation code of conduct, which will be sent to the law ministry for vetting on Sunday, added Ahmed.
Lawmakers campaigning for their party’s candidates in local government polls have been an issue for debate for quite some time now.
The previous Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad-led commission had initiated to allow MPs, but later refrained.
The existing code of conduct bars MPs to travel to their constituencies as soon as the polls schedules are announced. The same goes for ministers. They, however, are allowed on voting day to cast their franchises.