AL to go tough against rebels
Party MPs have been kept away from nomination process in UP polls
Abu Jakir
The ruling Awami League (AL) has decided to field single candidates at any cost in the upcoming Union Parishad (Council) elections likely to be held at the end of March, say insiders. AL Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif told this Correspondent yesterday that this time, if party leaders violate party instructions, they will be instantly removed from the party. In the municipality elections, we first suspended grassroots leaders who went against the party decision but this time, party higher-ups will just select party candidates and will direct grassroots leaders to work in favour of them. If anybody violates the direction, he/she will have to face the music, he said.
Hanif, who played a key role in taming rebel candidates in the municipality elections, said that by next week, primary membership cancellation letters will be sent to the rebel candidates who contested against the AL symbol of Nouka (Boat) in the municipal elections.
Not only that, action will also be taken against AL lawmakers who patronised rebel candidates in the polls, so that no one can dare to contest against the Nouka in the UP polls, he said. At least 59 grassroots leaders contested against the party symbol in the municipality elections. When contacted, AL Organising Secretary Mizbah Uddin Siraj said that as the UP elections are being held in a partisan manner for the first time in the countrys history, dilemma in fielding single candidates in these polls is common. But this time, we may be able to do that because we have already gathered experience in the municipality elections, he said.
Earlier in the day, at a meeting with the members of AL local government nomination board at Ganabhaban, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina directed her party leaders to ensure single candidates in the upcoming UP polls overcoming all odds.
After the meeting, Mahbubul Alam Hanif told reporters that the ruling party lawmakers have been kept away from the process of nominating party candidates for the UP elections this time. Except from this, other issues relating to the nomination process will remain almost the same as in the recently held municipality elections, Hanif added.
The AL high-up also decided that the presidents and secretaries of the partys district, thana and union perished levels will primarily select candidates for the upcoming UP polls. The primary list of candidates will then be sent to the partys nomination board and then the board will finalise the nominations in consultation with the party chief.
During the municipality elections, AL had formed a nomination board comprising central leaders, including its parliamentary board members. The party had also formed seven committees comprising its organising secretaries, who were instructed to zero in on competent and popular candidates.
Further, AL had formed a monitoring cell - directed by AL Presidium member and Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader and AL Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif - to monitor activities of its organising secretaries.
Meanwhile, as per the decision of AL Central Working Committee meeting, AL organising secretaries are working to collect information against those party lawmakers who patronised dissident candidates in the municipality polls.
Talking to The Independent, AL Organising Secretary Abu Sayeed Al Mahmud Swapan said, As per the direction of party higher-ups, we are working to collect information against the accused lawmakers but it needs time to submit a report in this regard.
Last week, Election Commissioner Mohammad Shah Newaz announced that elections to some 600 Union Parishads will be held at the end of March this year in several phases. The election schedule for the UP elections in phases will be announced mid-February, he said.
Newaz also mentioned that there are more than 4,000 Union Parishads across the country and the tenure of most of the Union Parishads will expire during this year, so the EC wants to complete conducting elections to all Union Parishads this year.
