Govt's job is to hold national elections: Delwar

BNP secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain said Wednesday the interim administration had been mandated to stage national elections to hand over power to an elected government and other elections should not be on its agenda. "The constitution suggests so," Delwar told reporters at his Nam home in the city. Hossain also differed with the chief election commissioner who Tuesday said he was for lifting of the emergency rules two months before the parliamentary elections. We want the state of emergency to go as soon as possible. A political environment will not come back unless people's rights become vibrant and ban on political activities go," Delwar said. "Lifting the state of emergency is important for free and acceptable (national) elections," he said. Delwar did not give a direct reply on whether the BNP would take part in any voting apart from the national elections. "The caretaker government's task is to hold the national elections. The local government elections usually do not happen with direct political nomination. "We want that the Election Commission will stage a free and fair election after creating a political atmosphere." Updates 1