All aspirants must submit nominations online: EC

The Election Commission has made mandatory the submission of nominations online for the aspirants of upcoming upazila elections to prevent the violation of the electoral code of conduct.

Ashok Kumar Debnath, additional secretary to the EC, told The Daily Star yesterday that this way, candidates will not come under pressure from anybody to submit or withdraw their nomination papers.

In a statement, the commission asked all candidates -- chairman, vice-chairman, and female vice-chairman -- to submit their nomination papers online before the deadline.

EC officials said it has been seen that many aspirants go to offices of returning officers in processions to collect or submit nomination forms, violating polls rules.

Online submission means candidates need not go to offices of returning officers anymore. So, the electoral code would not be breached, Ashok said.

He added that it was alleged that candidates in some areas during the previous local government elections were prevented from submitting nomination papers or were forced to withdraw. "That will not happen if the nomination forms are submitted online."

Earlier, the EC kept the scope for online nomination paper submission during some city corporation elections, the 12th national polls, and some by-elections to parliamentary seats. But it got lukewarm response.

Ashok hoped that this time the scenario would be different.

The EC will hold the first phase of the upazila elections at 152 upazilas in 59 districts on May 8. The last date for submission of nomination papers is April 15.

This time, the polls to 481 upazilas would be conducted in four phases.

The second phase will be on May 23, the third phase on May 29 and the fourth phase on June 5, said Ashok.