Published :
Updated :
For all latest news, follow The Financial Express Google News channel.
NCP wants white or red water lily symbol for elections
The National Citizen Party has applied to the Election Commission for a white and red water lily as additional party symbols, alongside the traditional water lily.
The party, seeking registration, submitted the symbol preference list on Sunday while correcting an “information deficiency” in its original application.
After both Nagorik Oikko and the NCP applied to use the water lily as their symbol, the commission made a policy decision on Jul 9 not to permit the use of the national emblem as a political party symbol.
The decision was made by the office of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin amid debate over whether a national symbol should be allocated to any political party.
The water lily does not appear in the EC’s list of reserved symbols, nor is it included in the schedule of election conduct rules.
After learning of the EC’s decision, the NCP expressed frustration.
On Jul 13, it also appealed for the water lily to be added to the official symbol schedule.
EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said, “The NCP made an application [Sunday] to include [three types of water lily] in their symbol preference list.”
However, the water lily symbol is not in the schedule under the existing amendment of the EC, he added.
The concerned said the matter related to the NCP's demand for the water lily symbol is not within the jurisdiction of the EC Secretariat.
He also said anyone involved in the election process may submit applications regarding election-related matters.
However, some of the issues raised are administrative in nature, while others fall under the jurisdiction of the EC.
“The Election Commission will decide according to the law."
WHITE AND RED WATER LILY INSTEAD OF PEN AND MOBILE PHONE
In the application to the EC on Jun 22, the NCP had asked for a pen and mobile phone in the second and third preference lists along with the water lily symbol.
In the latest application, the NCP claims they are always ready to discuss accepting different versions or partially “distorted” versions in accepting the water lily symbol.
The deadline for correcting information deficiencies and errors of the 145 parties seeking registration was Sunday. That day, a four-member NCP delegation also met with the CEC.
After the meeting, NCP Joint Member Secretary Zahirul Islam Musa said: “We have submitted new documents and information to the EC in light of the observations, seeking information on the party's registration application.
“I hope the EC will move forward with the next stage of our registration.
“The symbol is allotted when the EC issues the registration certificate. Since I have not received the registration certificate yet, I cannot talk about that now. It is not in the schedule of the rules, but it is amendable at any stage.”