28 AL candidates set to become zila parishad chairmen uncontested
The trend of winning ‘unopposed’ continues in local government polls. As many as 28 Awami League candidates are going to become zila parishad chairmen uncontested as there are no other contestants in those districts.
The 28 districts that have single contenders are Cumilla, Kurigram, Gopalganj, Chapainawabganj, Jhalkathi, Tangail, Thakurgaon, Noagaon, Natore, Narayanganj, Feni, Borguna, Bagerhat, Bhola, Madaripur, Munshiganj, Moulvibazar, Lakkhipur, Lalmonirhat, Shariatpur, Sirajganj, Sylhet, Noakhali, Pirojpur, Barishal, Dhaka, Jamalpur and Pabna, according to the data of election commission.
Sunday was the last day of withdrawal of candidacy in the zila parishad election. The election would take place in 61 out of 64 districts on 17 October. Election in the three hill districts would be held later. According to the EC, 90 candidates are vying for the chairman posts in 61 districts, 1505 candidates in member posts and 620 in member posts reserved for women candidates. The electoral symbol would be allocated for the election today, Monday.
The law does not forbid the election of a person if there are no other contenders. But the victory of such a huge number of candidates unopposed in local government bodies raises an eyebrow. This trend has become prominent after the tenth parliamentary election in 2014. A total of 153 candidates were elected unopposed in that election. Almost all the candidates winning unopposed are of the ruling Awami League.
Zila parishad election took place for the first time in 2016. As BNP and other opposition candidates boycotted that election, AL candidates became chairmen in most of the districts.
The zila parishad comprises members equaling the number of upazilas in the respective district. One-third of the members including the chairmen are women. The universal franchise method is not followed in the zila parishad election. Only the public representatives of upazila parishad, pourashava and union parishad can vote in zila parishad election.
Of the 61 districts, there will be contest in 33 districts. There are rebel candidates of AL in at least 18 districts. Rajshahi district AL’s relief and social affairs secretary Akhtaruzzaman is one of the rebel candidates. He told Prothom Alo that most of the voters of the election are from upazilas but some persons have misled the central leadership to field a candidate from the Rajshahi city area. Akhtaruzzaman said he fielded his candidacy due to such a decision.
Bogura district AL’s former organising secretary Abdul Mannan Akand is the rebel candidate in the district. He is also a former president of Bogura district truck owners association. Abdul Mannan also competed in Bogura pourashava election as a rebel candidate. He came to prominence after getting three times more votes than the candidate fielded by the AL. BNP candidate won that pourashava election.
Chuadanga Jubo League’s former convenor Arefin Alam has become a ‘rebel’ candidate failing to get AL’s nomination. Arefin, however, said he can’t be branded as AL’s rebel candidate since he does not hold a party post since 2015.
Two became ‘rebel’ candidates in Narail zila parishad election. AL’s district unit president Subas Chandra Bose is the party’s nominated candidate in the election. The two rebels are Lohagora upazila AL’s former secretary Syed Faizul Amir and upazila AL’s member Sheikh Md Sultan Mahmud.
Asked about the decision to contest violating party’s decision, Sheikh Sultan Mahmud said he has done so to ‘maintain his dignity'.
Not only in chairman posts but many are also being elected unopposed in other posts. The EC data shows that 68 members and 19 women members are going to become elected uncontested.