Top government officials have suggested holding the upcoming UP elections in January instead of the Election Commission’s tentative plan to begin them in November, citing annual examinations and the implementation of the government’s 180-day programmes, among other considerations.
The recommendation came at an inter-ministerial meeting on local government elections at the EC headquarters on September 17, attended by heads of 27 ministries and divisions, according to the meeting minutes.
Government offices would remain busy with these activities in November and December, and announcing the local election schedule during that period could disrupt their implementation, he said.
Citing ongoing priority projects and annual examinations in November and December, which require executive magistrates, the public administration secretary suggested beginning local government elections in January.
The primary and mass education secretary said annual examinations take place in December, while a major extracurricular programme involving three million students would keep the education sector busy in the coming months.
He warned that using teachers and educational institutions for elections could disrupt academic activities and urged that local government polls be held from January.
The home secretary said election-related police training would continue until November 15, while officers would also be engaged in implementing priority government programmes and maintaining security during major religious and national events in November and December.
The IGP also requested that elections be held in January, noting that police personnel would be engaged in maintaining law and order during several religious and national events in November and December.
The EC had announced November 12 as the tentative date for the first phase of Union Parishad elections in 80 upazilas.
The following day, State Minister for Local Government Mir Shahe Alam said the government had not been consulted before the tentative dates were announced.
Asked why the tentative date was being changed after the inter-ministerial meeting, Election Commissioner Anwarul Islam Sarkar said the EC had initially announced November 12 as a tentative date but later found that it would coincide with annual examinations.
Asked whether the EC had pushed back the date due to government pressure, Anwarul said, “Not at all. Considering the actual situation and so that the studies of our millions of young students are not disrupted, we were talking about a possible date. We will move it a little further ahead.”
Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/news/politics/election/news/govt-favours-polls-january-4283816
