CCC polls: SHUJAN urges EC to verify candidates’ affidavits

SHUJAN (citizens for good governance) has called on the Election Commission (EC) to scrutinise the information detailed in the affidavits submitted by the candidates of the Cumilla City Corporation (CCC) polls.

The CCC election, scheduled to be held on 15 June, will be the first test for the new Commission headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal.

The candidates have already submitted nomination papers to the EC and the scrutiny of the papers has also been completed.

However, no affidavit for the CCC election has yet been posted on the commission's website, said SHUJAN in a press release on Saturday.

The civil society body urged the EC to post the affidavits of the candidates as soon as possible and verify the claims made by the candidates.

In a landmark verdict in 2005, a High Court bench of Justice Abdul Matin and Justice AFM Abdur Rahman directed candidates vying in parliamentary elections to submit affidavits containing various information along with their nomination papers.

The High Court also directed the EC to make the information public in the same verdict so that voters can have a better knowledge about the contenders.

The affidavits are usually scanned and published in PDF format on the Commission's website.

According to the City Corporation Act, a candidate or a member of their family will be ineligible for election if they are a contractor of the City Corporation or have any financial involvement.

"But we have seen such people participate in the elections in the past. Therefore, we call on the commission to disqualify any candidate who is found to be under proper investigation," SHUJAN said.

In order to earn people's trust in our Election Commission and the  system, the Commission has to work in good faith, the public welfare body said.