Cabinet clears draft of District Council (Amendment) Act-2016 to allow suspension of tainted chairman, members

The Cabinet has given the go-ahead to the draft of the District Council (Amendment) Act-2016, empowering the government to suspend council chairman and members if they are charged in court with criminal offences.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 29 August 2016, 11:34 AM
Updated : 29 August 2016, 01:02 PM

Cabinet members met at Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Office on Monday for the weekly meeting.

The law also arms the government with the power to nominate its own choice as chairman in the absence of a regular office bearer for that position.

After the meeting, Cabinet Secretary Md Shafiul Alam told reporters that the Act would be passed as an ordinance for now as Parliament is currently not in session.

He said the amended law provides for the formation of an 'electoral college' that would then select the chairman and members of the district council.

The elected representatives of the local administrations of the district, such as city corporation, Upazila council, municipality and union council, would be members of this panel, he added.

Alam said the formation process of the electoral college has been "clarified further" in the amended law.

The draft also includes the newly introduced post of vice-chairman in the electoral college.

The law makes some important changes with regard to dealing with corruption charges on members and chairman.

While the original law provides for a punishment of seven years in jail for committing corruption or breaching the electoral code of conduct, the amended Act increases the quantum of punishment by adding suspension, a fine of Tk 50,000 or a maximum six months' jail or both.

In a district council, the chairman holds the executive power in line with the current law.

The amended version will not take that away, but will allow the council to transfer the executive power from the chairman to a temporary panel or any council member or any government-approved official, if necessary.

But the draft does not mention how long the temporary panel or council member or government-approved official can exercise the power in the absence of a chairman.

It also makes it mandatory to add the name of the mother while identifying an elected member of the district council during the oath-taking.

According to the current law, the LGRD ministry has been formulating the code of conduct for the district council elections. But the amended law will transfer the responsibilities to the Election Commission.

In December 2011, barring the three Chittagong hill districts, the government had appointed Awami League leaders as administrators to the 61 district councils.

Asked if elections to these councils would be held upon the completion of their terms in December this year, the cabinet secretary said, "Yes, we hope so.”