AL demands lifting state of emergency forthwith
Friday, 5 October 2007
Awami League Thursday demanded lifting the state of emergency forthwith to set off the process of polls at the earliest, reports UNB.
"We were informed that local-body elections would start to be held from January next, so the government should lift the state of emergency immediately," acting AL president Zillur Rahman said at a post-Ifter briefing at the party's central office at Bangabandhu Avenue.
Demanding national elections at the earliest possible time, the AL leader said the only path of handing over the state power is holding election. "We all are cooperating with the government for holding a free and fair election," he told the reporters
"We are hopeful about the assurance of holding the national elections by December 2008 by the chief of the caretaker government, the Chief Election Commissioner and the Chief of Army Staff," Zillur said. "But they all should be more sincere to implement the EC-announced roadmap."
He said they supported the EC's roadmap of holding election, but the election would have to be held in a fair atmosphere so that people can exercise their voting right without any restriction.
About the registration of political parties, the acting AL president demanded simplification of the EC's rules for registration of political parties, or else, many political parties would not be able to register if these rules were passed.
"We will apprise the Election Commission of our identical proposal during dialogue on reform issues and we will request the Commission to declare the political parties that are accused of war crime, militancy, and fundamentalism and engaged in religion-based politics ineligible to take part in polls and national politics," Zillur said.
"We were informed that local-body elections would start to be held from January next, so the government should lift the state of emergency immediately," acting AL president Zillur Rahman said at a post-Ifter briefing at the party's central office at Bangabandhu Avenue.
Demanding national elections at the earliest possible time, the AL leader said the only path of handing over the state power is holding election. "We all are cooperating with the government for holding a free and fair election," he told the reporters
"We are hopeful about the assurance of holding the national elections by December 2008 by the chief of the caretaker government, the Chief Election Commissioner and the Chief of Army Staff," Zillur said. "But they all should be more sincere to implement the EC-announced roadmap."
He said they supported the EC's roadmap of holding election, but the election would have to be held in a fair atmosphere so that people can exercise their voting right without any restriction.
About the registration of political parties, the acting AL president demanded simplification of the EC's rules for registration of political parties, or else, many political parties would not be able to register if these rules were passed.
"We will apprise the Election Commission of our identical proposal during dialogue on reform issues and we will request the Commission to declare the political parties that are accused of war crime, militancy, and fundamentalism and engaged in religion-based politics ineligible to take part in polls and national politics," Zillur said.