Writ on district council polls
STAFF REPORTER
A writ petition was filed with the High Court yesterday challenging the legality of holding the first-ever direct elections for the Zila Parishad (district council) slated for December 28.
Supreme Court lawyer Advocate Eunus Ali Akond filed the petition with the related branch of the HC challenging the legality of the provision of district council law that allows indirect voting to the elections.
The petitioner sought stay order on the election. It also sought cancellation of the election. The HC bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul-Hoque and Justice Mohammad Ullah started the hearing on the petition yesterday and fixed next Sunday for further hearing on the petition. The petitioner mentioned that sections 4(2) and 17 of the Zila Parishad Act 2000 as well as section 5 of the Zila Parishad (Amendment) Act 2016 are contradictory to Articles no 11 and 59 of the constitution.
The petition said that there are some provisions in the district council act which allow an electoral body to cast votes in the district council elections, which are against the constitution.
It also said that there is no system of electoral bodies voting in the elections as the constitution allowed the voters to cast their votes directly in elections of the country.
The petition prayed to the HC to issue a rule upon the authorities concerned of the government to explain why these provisions should not be declared unconstitutional.
