Public trust on EC on the wane: Shujan
More than 52 per cent of the total 548 candidates, who are vying for mayor and ward councillor posts in the upcoming polls to three city corporations, are businessmen by profession, reports UNB.
While addressing a press conference at the National Press Club organised to share the affidavits of candidates contesting in the upcoming city polls, civil society platform Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Shujan) said this on Wednesday.
Presenting a report, Shujan representative Dilip Kumar Sarkar also said at least 43 per cent of the candidates taking part in the three elections have educational background below the secondary level.
Elections to three city corporations in Sylhet, Barishal and Rajshahi are billed for 30 July.
Dilip also presented the information of the candidates' income status, picture of their assets, number of cases against them, their loan status and description and assessment of financial status of all mayoral candidates in the press conference.
Local government expert Tofayel Ahmed said the EC did not properly check the information provided by the candidates in their affidavits and he urged that the EC must verify the information appropriately.
Shujan said the election commission (EC) has lost the credibility, which was earlier gained through successful holding of polls in Narayanganj, Cumilla and Rangpur cities.
The civil rights body said EC could not take any clear step to prevent several incidents of electoral code of conduct violations already taken place centring the upcoming city polls.
That's why, Shujan observed, public trust on EC is eroding.
Mentioning the incidents of bomb blast in Rajshahi, filing of cases against the activists of BNP mayoral candidate in Sylhet and arrests of several persons, Shujan said these incidents are making people worried and concerned about the fairness of the election.
Dilip Kumar Sarkar said, "Before the national parliament election these city polls are the biggest ones organised by the EC and if the EC fails to arrange elections in a free and fair way, it will give a negative impression about EC among the public."
Presiding over the programme, Shujan president Hafiz Uddin Khan alleged, "EC failed to ensure a level playing field for the each contesting candidates in these cities, which makes us concerned about the fairness of the elections."