There will be positive changes in local government if there is no party symbol: Advisor Asif

Local government advisor Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan said that there will be no party symbol in the city corporation, municipality, and union council elections. Candidates will have to be elected based on their qualifications and popularity. He said this at a briefing at the Foreign Service Academy on Thursday (July 24) afternoon. Asif Mahmud said that the parties including the Electoral Reform Commission and the Local Government Reform Commission had been demanding the abolition of party symbols in local elections. This decision has been taken in light of this. This will bring positive changes in local government. At this time, if the political parties want, local elections can be held before the national elections. He also said that in the past, the government party’s symbol has received special benefits because elections were held on party symbols. Many people have won in many places by adding markers. Besides, many people have also clashed over this in the elections. Now, since there is no party symbol, qualified candidates will win. Asif Nazrul said, for ages, local elections were being held in the country without party symbols. But during the previous government, local government institutions were partyized. Now we are going back to that previous position. Incidentally, in 2015, the Awami League decided to amend the law by a single decision and use party symbols in local government elections. However, most political parties were opposing that decision.