4-party to join polls, tags 2 preconditions

FE Team | Published: November 25, 2008 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

The BNP-led 4-party alliance on Tuesday night decided to join December 29 parliament elections but tagged two tough preconditions to their participation like full lifting of the state of emergency on or before December 11 and the scrapping of section 91 (e) of the RPO, reports UNB.
BNP secretary-general Khandaker Delwar Hossain stated the former ruling coalition's latest position over the forthcoming polls after meetings with his party's standing committee and the 4-party alliance at BNP's Gulshan office.
"We're very eager to take part in free, fair, transparent and credible elections as we are a pro-election alliance," he told reporters.
Delwar also referred to BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia's recently spelt-out four-point demand that contains these two preconditions.
Chief Election Commissioner Dr Shamsul Huda, while announcing the fresh date of election for December 29 on Sunday, clarified the commission position about section 91 (e) of the RPO that empowers election officials to cancel candidature of any candidate for violation of code of conduct.
Asked about the EC's clarification, Delwar said: "We would not insist on this point if the clarification from the commission was acceptable to us and we would have full trust in the commission."
The BNP leader alleged the election commission has behaved in a partisan manner and its stances and statements on various issues went against BNP.
Jamaat secretary-general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujaheed was among others present at the press briefing.
Meanwhile, report from Bogra adds: Nomination papers were Monday drawn on behalf BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia to contest the December 29 polls from Bogra-7.
Local BNP leader Saiful Islam who collected the nomination papers from the election office said those would soon be reached to Khaleda.
Khaleda had contested and won from this constituency in 2001 election. But she had vacated the seat in favour of Helaluzzaman Talukdar who returned in the by-election. Talukdar is now in jail.