Polls must be held on Dec 18: 14-party

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The Awami League (AL)-led 14-party alliance Sunday took a firm stand that the general election must be held on December 18, as scheduled, and discussed seat-sharing matters for their joint participation in the crucial polls, report UNB/bdnews24.com.
After a review of the latest dilemmas over the long-stalled polls in a meeting with AL chief Sheikh Hasina presiding, the coalition also urged all the political parties to participate in the December 18 polls.
They adopted three decisions: the election on December 18 is a must, it cannot be deferred anyway; the emergency will have to be lifted before the polls; and upazila poll schedule has to be announced after the parliamentary polls.
Ashraful Islam briefed journalists after a prolonged meeting of the leaders of the coalition held at AL chief Hasina's Dhanmondi office, at a time when their rival, the BNP-led four-party alliance, has taken a stand for deferring the national elections and made their participation conditional to fulfilling their 7-point demand.
To another question on Jatiya Party chief HM Ershad's claim that, according to an agreement with the AL, he will be the country's president if they win, Ashraful said this matter would be made clear later on.
He said they would contest the December 18 polls as part of the 14-party movement for years against the "autocratic" rule of the BNP-Jamaat alliance.