Uncontested winning of JS aspirants challenged

A writ petition was filed today seeking High Court directive on the Election Commission and the government not to issue any direct notification declaring 154 candidates of January 5 parliamentary polls elected.

The 154 candidates are set to be declared elected uncontested as the constituencies have single candidate.

Khandakar Abdus Salam, a candidate of Jatiya Party (Ershad) from Gazipur's Kaliakoir constituency whose candidacy has been rejected, submitted the writ petition.

In the petition, he challenged the provision of Representation of Peoples Order (RPO) which empowers the EC to issue a gazette notification declaring a candidate elected uncontested if there is no other candidate is contesting in the constituency.

He said in the petition that this provision of RPO is contrary to the Bangladesh Constitution.

According to the constitution, every lawmaker has to be elected by the people, he said.

The chief election commissioner, secretary to the EC, cabinet secretary and law secretary have been made respondents in the petition.

Hassan MA Azim , lawyer for the petitioner, told The Daily Star that his client has filed the petition on the basis of the reports published in different newspapers on December 15 saying the candidates are set to be elected uncontested without any voting.

He said the High Court may hold a hearing on the petition on January 2.