District council polls
AL may fail to rein in rebels
Party selects candidates
for 61 districts
Abu Jakir
The Awami League (AL) may not be able to tame its rebel candidates in the upcoming Zila Parishad elections. A large number of district leaders and party-backed former administrators have submitted their curriculum vitae (CV) to the central office to get the party ticket.
For the first time, the district council elections, scheduled for December 28, are going to be held on the basis of indirect voting. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Jatiya Party (JP) have declared that they will not participate in the local body elections. With the two major parties deciding to boycott the polls, AL candidates are likely to be pitted against their own party men.
Meanwhile, the party high command selected candidates for 61 districts last night. The decision was taken at the meeting of the AL local government nomination board held at Ganabhaban. After ending the meeting, AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader announced the names of party nominated candidates before the waiting journalists at Ganabhaban. The AL high-ups had earlier met twice at Ganabhaban, the official residence of party chief Sheikh Hasina, to finalise the names of candidates. This correspondent spoke to several district AL leaders who have submitted their CVs to the central leadership. They seemed adamant and said if they were denied party ticket, they would fight the polls as independents.
When contacted, a Sherpur district AL leader, requesting anonymity, said he has been
with the AL for the past 40 years and did not seek anything from the party. He expressed hope that the party will not dishearten him.
To a question. the leader said: I will not tell you now whether I would contest as a rebel candidate.
Bogra district AL president and an aspirant for the post of Zila Parishad chairman, Alhaj Mamotaj Uddin said: I am hoping to get a party ticket. But if the party high-ups disappoint me, I will decide later whether I would contest the polls or not.
Another district leader said as major political parties would be boycotting the polls, some rebel candidates of the ruling party might be in the fray.
Golam Mahiuddin, a district leader and a former administrator, told this correspondent yesterday that if he did not get party nomination for contesting the polls, he would work for the partys candidate.
When contacted, the AL joint general secretary, Mahbubul Alam Hanif, said: As the Zila Parishad elections are going to be held without the party banner, anyone can contest the polls, but the AL will put up a single candidate for each seat. The AL presidium member, Kazi Zafarullah, said this time the party high-ups are selecting candidates considering their party posts. If he/she holds important party positions, he/she will not be given nomination, though it is a tough job. The Zila Parishad elections are going to be held through indirect voting. This means, representatives of the local government administration will be able to cast valuable votes in the elections. So, AL candidates are expected to win easily, as most of the representatives are from the ruling party. And that is why aspirants are lobbying with central leaders to get the partys nod for the district council polls.
