Emergency to be relaxed in phases, says Iftekhar
Tuesday, 28 October 2008
The government will relax the state of emergency to allow political parties to campaign for the parliamentary polls, Foreign Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury said Monday, reports bdnews24.com.
Iftekhar said emergency would be relaxed 'in phases', signalling that it might not be lifted wholly as per the demands of parties including the Awami League (AL) and the BNP.
"The state of emergency will be lifted in phases. We will make provisions ahead of the election so that the emergency does not stand in the way of holding polls," Iftekhar told journalists after meeting Commonwealth secretary-general Kamalesh Sharma at the Foreign Ministry.
"In the first phase, the right to congregate will be guaranteed. All barriers to election campaigns will be removed," the adviser said.
"Ultimately the state of emergency will be relaxed or removed as necessary depending upon circumstances," he said.
The adviser said the government was taking decisions consistent with discussions held with BNP and AL.
The military-installed interim administration of Fakhruddin Ahmed and the two major political parties-the BNP and the AL-are in disagreement over the lifting of the state of emergency.
The AL and the BNP demand withdrawal of emergency as precondition to taking part in the ninth parliamentary polls.
In reverse, the government said it would continue emergency up to the Dec 18 election to ensure public security and hold a fair and credible poll.
Iftekhar said emergency would be relaxed 'in phases', signalling that it might not be lifted wholly as per the demands of parties including the Awami League (AL) and the BNP.
"The state of emergency will be lifted in phases. We will make provisions ahead of the election so that the emergency does not stand in the way of holding polls," Iftekhar told journalists after meeting Commonwealth secretary-general Kamalesh Sharma at the Foreign Ministry.
"In the first phase, the right to congregate will be guaranteed. All barriers to election campaigns will be removed," the adviser said.
"Ultimately the state of emergency will be relaxed or removed as necessary depending upon circumstances," he said.
The adviser said the government was taking decisions consistent with discussions held with BNP and AL.
The military-installed interim administration of Fakhruddin Ahmed and the two major political parties-the BNP and the AL-are in disagreement over the lifting of the state of emergency.
The AL and the BNP demand withdrawal of emergency as precondition to taking part in the ninth parliamentary polls.
In reverse, the government said it would continue emergency up to the Dec 18 election to ensure public security and hold a fair and credible poll.