EC wants executive magistrates to prevent code violations

The Election Commission has urged executive magistrates from the public administration ministry to run mobile courts on emergency basis to prevent electoral code violations.

The move comes after the EC show-caused a dozen aspirants for code infringement.

Elections to three city corporations in Dhaka and Chittagong are slated for Apr 28.

In its letter to the public administration ministry on Monday, the EC said poll code violations were seen ‘on a large scale’.

Election officers in Dhaka monitoring such violations are serving the candidates with notices.

Most of the cases have been reported from the Dhaka South City Corporation.

DSCC Returning Officer Mihir Sarwar Morshed said seven possible councillor aspirants had been asked to explain why they had not removed their posters and billboards by Monday.

Another election officer said three possible mayor candidates had been verbally cautioned.

The returning officer will caution the candidates if their explanations are found dissatisfactory. Possible imprisonment and fines will be considered as punitive measures.

As a last resort, the EC can scrap their candidacy.

Returning officers say they will look into allegations that several candidates had gone with more than five persons to collected nominations.

The EC has sought six executive magistrates – two each for the city corporations – to operate mobile courts with a view to preventing code violation.

They courts will run until the nomination withdrawal deadline.

In its letter, the EC also requested for 18 executive magistrates – six each for the three city corporations – from Apr 10, the day when the formal canvassing starts.

Moreover, the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs has been requested to deploy 33 executive magistrates on four days before and after the polls.

Altogether 980 aspirants in Dhaka had collected nominations until Monday.

Mar 29 is the nomination-submission deadline. The EC will screen them on Apr 1 and 2. The last date for the withdrawal of nomination is Apr 9.