The ruling Awami League-led coalition has called for repealing the electoral code of conduct provision preventing MPs to participate in campaigns for local government polls.
“Sitting MP can’t electioneer in local government polls in line with the code of conduct … We think it needs to be amended,” said Awami League leader Mohammad Nasim, who serves as the 14-party Alliance spokesperson.
In an apparent reference to the Alliance’s lawmakers, Nasim, an MP from Sirajganj, said on Saturday (Jan 11) it was unfortunate that they can’t campaign, but that's not the case for top BNP leaders as they are not lawmakers.
“We are abiding by the laws,” said Nasim, who is a presidium member of AL.
AL Advisory Council member Amir Hossain Amu echoed Nasim.
“Councillor aspirants [in the Dhaka city polls] had campaigned in the national election and now MPs are not being able to return the favour," he said before claiming the polls code provision "violated citizens' rights".
“Former MPs can join the local polls campaign, not the incumbents, how can it level the playing field?” he asked before calling to consider revoking the provisions.
Citing local elections not apolitical, Amu, who heads the party's Dhaka South City polls coordination panel, said, “We can’t just sit at home when anti-liberation elements and militants are participating in the elections.”
The call came hours after Tofail Ahmed, the chief of the panel for North city polls, led a delegation to meet Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda.
“We MPs can hold meetings at offices or anyone’s residence in the electorate, it’s not prohibited. However, the Election Commission has made it clear that we can't solicit votes,” Tofail told the media after the meeting.
CEC Huda said they “cannot bar candidates from participating in political activities [of the party] in the election areas. MPs can also take part but cannot make remarks on polls. For instance, they can attend events celebrating Mujib Year, but cannot solicit votes,"
On Jan 9, Election Commissioner Mahbub Talukdar expressed concerns over the involvement of MPs in the campaign process.
In an unofficial note sent to the CEC and the Dhaka City polls returning officers, Talukdar said that sitting lawmakers are taking part in the campaign in a clear violation of the 2016 electoral code of conduct and it would "hamper creation of a level playing field".
On Saturday, the 14-party Alliance extended its support to AL’s Dhaka South city mayor candidate Sheikh Falze Hasan Taposh and Dhaka North candidate Atiqul Islam at a special meeting in Dhaka.
The coalition would organise rallies in Dhaka to campaign for the candidates, Amu told the media after a meeting of allies.
Responding to a query, Amu said, BNP is certain of a defeat and would boycott the election halfway through the balloting.
“So, they [BNP] are saying many things to prepare grounds [for a boycott],” he said.
Describing the Dhaka city polls "a battle between anti-liberation elements and pro-independence forces", 14-party spokesperson Nasim said they took the election as a "challenge".
Calling the activists to resort to door-to-door to campaigning, he said, “We might have made mistakes. But the [AL] candidates need to win the polls to fulfill their promises.”
Elections to the Dhaka North and South city corporations are slated for Jan 30. The commission has said that the entire balloting will be held through electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Along with electing the mayors, voters in North will also elect 54 ward councillors and 18 reserved women councillors while in South 75 ward councillors and 25 reserved women councillors.