UP elections unlikely this year, Minister’s remarks suggest
Photo: Agamir Somoy
The Ministry of Local Government has yet to receive a final decision from the Election Commission (EC) on when the Union Parishad elections will begin. However, Local Government State Minister Shahe Alam believes the elections will not begin this year.
Responding to questions from journalists at a press conference at the Secretariat on Wednesday, he said, “They have not yet informed us of anything final. They have not yet informed us when they will start or when they will finish.”
The EC had earlier said that local government elections would be held this year after the parliamentary election in February. The Union Parishad elections would be held first. On September 14, Election Commissioner Abul Fazal Md. Sanaullah told journalists that the Union Parishad elections would be held in seven phases and would begin on November 12.
A disagreement then emerged between the government and the EC. The following day, Local Government State Minister Shahe Alam said they knew nothing about the matter.
Later, after an interministerial meeting on September 17, Sanaullah said it could not be confirmed at that time whether the elections could begin in November. However, he said the elections must be completed by June 6 next year.
Under the Constitution, the EC is responsible for holding parliamentary elections. However, at the request of the government, the EC conducts elections to Union Parishads, Upazila Parishads, Zila Parishads, municipalities and city corporations.
As uncertainty emerged over the local government elections due to the disagreement, journalists asked the state minister about the election dates at Wednesday’s press conference.
In response, he said, “The Election Commission has to decide this because they will conduct the election.”
“I do not think it will happen this year. They have given June 6 as the deadline. I think they are making a decision to start from next year,” he added.
Asked what the government was thinking about the matter, Shahe Alam said secretaries had given their recommendations at the meeting on September 17. The secretaries will meet with the EC again this month.
“The government wants it to be completed within this fiscal year. They will decide when it will start. I do not want to embarrass them by saying anything,” the state minister said.
The Ministry of Local Government has allocated funds in the current fiscal year for elections to Union Parishads, Upazila Parishads, Zila Parishads, municipalities and city corporations.
Regarding the expenditure, the state minister said, “They have given an estimate that around Tk 6,000 crore will be needed. We have made arrangements so that we can provide this amount.”
He said around Tk 2,800 crore could be spent on the Union Parishad elections and around Tk 2,200 crore on the Upazila Parishad elections. The expenditure for municipality and city corporation elections will be comparatively lower.
