Why not party symbols, identities in local govt polls: HC

The High Court today asked the Election Commission and government to explain in two weeks as to why they will not be ordered to allocate or use electoral symbols and identities of political parties in local government elections.

Issuing a rule, the court also ordered the authorities to show cause as to why the relevant electoral rules that restricted allocating and using electoral symbols and identities of political parties in local body elections should not be declared unconstitutional.

The HC bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice Abu Taher Md Saifur Rahman came up with the rule following a writ petition filed challenging the legality of four separate electoral rules.

The EC and secretaries to the ministries of law, and local government and rural development have been made respondents to the rule, petitioner’s counsel Uzzal Hossain told The Daily Star.

Muhammad Aminur Rahman, head of Bangladesh Sanskritik Muktijote, a registered political party, submitted the writ petition to the HC on April 19 challenging the legality of relevant provisions of City Corporation (election conduct) Rules, 2010, Union Parishad  (election conduct) Rules, 2010, Pourasava ((election conduct) Rules, 2010 and Upazila (election conduct) Rules, 2013.

The provisions have prohibited allocating and using electoral symbols and identities of political parties in local body elections, which is against the people’s fundamental rights of freedom of express guaranteed by the constitution, he said in the petition.