EC urged not to do any discrimination in implementing RPO provisions
Friday, 28 November 2008
Bangladesh Awami League (AL) urged the Election Commission (EC) not to mete out any discriminatory 'behaviour' to the party in implementing provisions of the Representation of People Order (RPO), including the rule for grassroots nomination of candidates for the forthcoming polls, reports UNB.
The party made the call when officials of the European Union (EU) Election Observation Mission to Bangladesh called on former premier Sheikh Hasina at her residence Sudhasadan in the city Thursday.
"We cannot say just now whether any political party is breaking the rule of grassroots nomination. But the EC has told us that they would take legal steps if any party is found breaching the law," HT Imam, co-chairman of the AL Election Committee, told the journalists after the meeting. Former ambassador Mohammad Jamir and Sheikh Hasina's press secretary Abul Kalam Azad were also present on the occasion.
Sheikh Hasina and her colleagues also criticised the government and the Election Commission for the frequent change of nomination dates and also the deferment of the poll date. "We had completed our nomination process following the earlier date of parliamentary polls of December 18. But then the date of filing nomination papers was deferred by four days and the poll date was also shifted to December 29 without consulting Awami League. For this Awami League has to suffer a lot," HT Imam said.
Hasina condemns Mumbai blast
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Awami League president and former premier Sheikh Hasina condemned the brutal gun attacks in Indian business-capital Mumbai that left over 100 people dead, reports UNB.
In a condolence message to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Thursday, she termed the overnight gun attacks on civilians as 'cowardly' terrorist attacks. "No sane and conscious man supports this dastardly incident," she said.
She apprehended that such incidents are being perpetrated time and again to spoil the peace and safety of people and hamper the forward march of democracy in the subcontinent.
The party made the call when officials of the European Union (EU) Election Observation Mission to Bangladesh called on former premier Sheikh Hasina at her residence Sudhasadan in the city Thursday.
"We cannot say just now whether any political party is breaking the rule of grassroots nomination. But the EC has told us that they would take legal steps if any party is found breaching the law," HT Imam, co-chairman of the AL Election Committee, told the journalists after the meeting. Former ambassador Mohammad Jamir and Sheikh Hasina's press secretary Abul Kalam Azad were also present on the occasion.
Sheikh Hasina and her colleagues also criticised the government and the Election Commission for the frequent change of nomination dates and also the deferment of the poll date. "We had completed our nomination process following the earlier date of parliamentary polls of December 18. But then the date of filing nomination papers was deferred by four days and the poll date was also shifted to December 29 without consulting Awami League. For this Awami League has to suffer a lot," HT Imam said.
Hasina condemns Mumbai blast
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Awami League president and former premier Sheikh Hasina condemned the brutal gun attacks in Indian business-capital Mumbai that left over 100 people dead, reports UNB.
In a condolence message to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Thursday, she termed the overnight gun attacks on civilians as 'cowardly' terrorist attacks. "No sane and conscious man supports this dastardly incident," she said.
She apprehended that such incidents are being perpetrated time and again to spoil the peace and safety of people and hamper the forward march of democracy in the subcontinent.