Hasina opposes deferment of election on any pretext
Friday, 14 November 2008
Awami League (AL) president Sheikh Hasina Thursday rejected the notion of pushing back the date for parliament elections and asserted that the voting must take place on December 18 as scheduled to restore democratically elected government, reports UNB.
"If the elections could not be held on December 18, then what type of rule will be imposed on the country?' she questioned while addressing a meeting marking the 36th founding anniversary of Awami Jubo League at the Engineers' Institution.
As the election is round the corner, whispering started about deferring the election's date. "If any party says it has no preparation for election, will there be no election in the country?" the former prime minister (PM) posed another question, indicating the stand of her political rival ex-PM Khaleda Zia's party for deferment of the polls.
She said whenever AL's chance for winning any election looks bright, conspiracy starts to block her party's return to power.
She said voters must be conscious about their right to vote’ so none can "snatch it away".
Appearing critical of the long-running caretaker government, she said the government had announced the election roadmap but, after climbing the road, it lost the map. The government, she said, was supposed to give elections within three months of assuming office, but it has not been able to give the election in nearly two years.
Another UNB report adds: Bangladesh Awami League (AL) Thursday urged the Election Commission (EC) to allow its alliance partners to contest the upcoming parliamentary elections with its symbol 'Boat' if they so desired.
A four-member AL delegation, led by its office secretary Advocate Abdul Mannan Khan, met EC Secretary M Humayun Kabir and handed over a letter conveying their demand.
"The EC should allow if any of our allies want to contest the election with Boat symbol," Mannan Khan told journalists at the EC secretariat after handing over the letter to the Commission.
He also said as AL would contest the upcoming parliamentary election by forging grand alliance, so the Commission has been informed of the matter through the letter.
Asked about the Commission's response to their demand, the AL leader said the EC informed them that such request letters from both the alliances and their willing partner parties have to be submitted to the Commission to facilitate allocation of such requested symbol.
"The candidates of AL-led alliance must mention 'Boat' as their symbol in nomination papers submitted to the EC," Khan said quoting the Commission secretary.
The AL delegation also urged the EC not to reject the nomination papers of the intending candidates for minor mistakes or due to some technical reasons.
"If the elections could not be held on December 18, then what type of rule will be imposed on the country?' she questioned while addressing a meeting marking the 36th founding anniversary of Awami Jubo League at the Engineers' Institution.
As the election is round the corner, whispering started about deferring the election's date. "If any party says it has no preparation for election, will there be no election in the country?" the former prime minister (PM) posed another question, indicating the stand of her political rival ex-PM Khaleda Zia's party for deferment of the polls.
She said whenever AL's chance for winning any election looks bright, conspiracy starts to block her party's return to power.
She said voters must be conscious about their right to vote’ so none can "snatch it away".
Appearing critical of the long-running caretaker government, she said the government had announced the election roadmap but, after climbing the road, it lost the map. The government, she said, was supposed to give elections within three months of assuming office, but it has not been able to give the election in nearly two years.
Another UNB report adds: Bangladesh Awami League (AL) Thursday urged the Election Commission (EC) to allow its alliance partners to contest the upcoming parliamentary elections with its symbol 'Boat' if they so desired.
A four-member AL delegation, led by its office secretary Advocate Abdul Mannan Khan, met EC Secretary M Humayun Kabir and handed over a letter conveying their demand.
"The EC should allow if any of our allies want to contest the election with Boat symbol," Mannan Khan told journalists at the EC secretariat after handing over the letter to the Commission.
He also said as AL would contest the upcoming parliamentary election by forging grand alliance, so the Commission has been informed of the matter through the letter.
Asked about the Commission's response to their demand, the AL leader said the EC informed them that such request letters from both the alliances and their willing partner parties have to be submitted to the Commission to facilitate allocation of such requested symbol.
"The candidates of AL-led alliance must mention 'Boat' as their symbol in nomination papers submitted to the EC," Khan said quoting the Commission secretary.
The AL delegation also urged the EC not to reject the nomination papers of the intending candidates for minor mistakes or due to some technical reasons.