Ordinance issued making munipal polls partisan

President Abdul Hamid today issued an ordinance amending the local government law making municipal polls partisan.

From now on, registered political parties will nominate candidates for the elections to the local government bodies and the aspirants will contest taking party symbols like parliamentary polls, LGRD Minister Khandkar Mosharraf Hossain confirmed to The Daily Star.

The cabinet on October 12 approved proposals for amending the local government laws for holding elections to local government bodies--union parishad, municipalities, upazila and city corporations--in partisan lines.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina hinted at a meeting on Sunday that Awami League might provide party symbol to only mayoral and chairman candidates. Other councillor and member candidates would not get party symbol.  

Elections to around 245 municipalities out of 317 are supposed to be held in December, said officials of the Election Commission (EC).

"We have already started drafting electoral rule for conducting the upcoming municipality polls in partisan lines," a deputy secretary of the EC told The Daily Star. 

Talking to reporters today at his office, Election Commissioner Shah Nawaz said they need around 40 to 45 days to announce the schedule to the voting day for election management.

There are 40 registered political parties in Bangladesh. Candidates will be allowed to contest the polls using party symbol like parliamentary polls. Besides, anyone can contest as independent candidates, said EC officials.