DCC polls deferred, yet again

The Dhaka City Corporation polls have been deferred again apparently due to complications arising out of delimitation of wards.

"It is not possible to hold the DCC polls in May," chief election commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda told reporters on Thursday after talking with the high officials of the local government division.

He said, "Complications will arise if the election is held without completing boundary delimitation according to the Local Government (City Corporation) Act 2009."

Earlier, the Election Commission (EC) had planned to hold the elections at the beginning of this year.

They were later deferred to March and then deferred again till end of April.

On Apr 6 the commission decided to hold the election on May 31.

Following the decision, a schedule was supposed to be announced on Apr 18 at the latest.

EC on Apr 6 apprised the local government division of its decision to hold DCC elections on May 31.

DCC went to polls on Apr 24, 2002 and the tenure of those elected, expired almost three years ago.

The CEC lamented that the DCC polls appeared to be haunted by 'kufa', a colloquial expression for repeated hitches.

"But we're trying our best."

He said the local government elections are usually held on the government's decision.

But, when asked, he could not say exactly when the elections could be held.

"I can't tell you now. The delimitation process under the Geographical Information System might take up to two and a half months."

However, he hinted it could be possible 'after October'.

When asked if the elections were deferred under government pressure, the CEC said that it was not the case.

"There's no such pressure."

He said that the local government division had merely informed the Election Commission of the legal bindings.

But he assured the press that the Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) polls would be held by June 25.

Boundary delimitation of the CCC wards were progressing fast, he said.

The tenure of the elected bodies of the CCC will expire in May.

There was a court bar on the announcement of DCC election schedules till Feb 23 following a writ petition filed by a resident of ward 27 over holding the elections before completing delimitation of ward boundaries.

Four more writ petitions were filed afterwards.

For this, the EC asked the local government for conducting GIS survey, which is underway.

EC initiated to hold the elections after the court quashed all the petitions and the bar election was no more in effect after Feb 23.