Sujan Discussion on Fair UP Polls
Steps needed to stop using financial, political muscle
Speakers at a view exchange meeting have urged measures to stop use of black money and muscle power and ward off political influence to conduct the upcoming union parishad election in a free, fair and transparent way.
Sushashoner Janno Nagorik (Sujan) Barisal district unit organised the
programme styled 'face-to-face with people' in Kulkati union under Nalcity upazila of Jhalakathi district on Sunday.
Kulkathi union Shujan president Shahjahan Mallik presided over the programme aimed at bridging the gap between local government election candidates and voters about electoral commitments and their implementation ahead of the upcoming union parishad election.
Among others, Sujan central Secretary Badiul Alam Majumdar, Barisal city unit acting President Akkas Hossain, Hunger Project Executive Director Tanzima Rahman Majumdar, and representatives from socio-cultural-professional and human rights organisations and election monitoring bodies participated in the discussion with the five chairman and 26 member candidates in that UP election.
"The authorities have failed to stop circulation of black money and use of muscle power and make the local government non-political or non-partisan in the true sense," said Rafikul Islam Molla, a chairman candidate of that UP election.
"Such a situation is not conducive to a non-partisan, free, fair, transparent and acceptable local government election," said Shamsul Islam Mallik, another chairman candidate.
Union parishads are responsible for ensuring 10 basic rights and 38 supplementary rights of people, said participants at the programme.
Emphasising more empowerment for union parishad, the lowest tier in the local government institution, they called upon the voters to elect honest and competent candidates to strengthen democracy and help sustainable socio-economic development of the country and overall well-being of the nation.
Several voters reminded the candidates of their moral responsibility to go by the commitments they make to the electorate.
The participants appreciated Sujan for organising such programmes that will inspire and educate both voters and candidates to elect honest and
competent candidates through a free and fair election.
At the end of the programme, the election candidates took oath and signed the declaration of the meeting to conduct a free, fair acceptable election.
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