Negotiations flop: JS polls on December 18 as scheduled
Thursday, 20 November 2008
The caretaker government announced Wednesday that parliament elections would be held on December 18 as scheduled by the Election Commission (EC) as hectic negotiations with two rival political camps on deferment of the polls flopped, report UNB/bdnews24.com
There has not been any consensus between the Awami League-led and BNP-led alliances on the election commission and government's latest propositions regarding the rescheduling of the parliament and upazila elections, the government announcement said.
Election to upazila parishads will also be held on December 28 as per the previously-set schedule.
Announcing the government position in response to the BNP-led alliance's 48-hour ultimatum for conceding to their 4-point demand, Commerce Adviser Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman told a crowded press conference at the CA's office Wednesday evening that the government placed four proposals with the two alliances for a consensus on the crucial issues.
The propositions are: rescheduling election for December 28 instead of December 18, full lifting of the state of emergency at a reasonable time after considering the law-and-order situation ahead of the election, re-fixing upazila election for January 8 instead of December 28, and ensuring highest alert an procedural transparency in application of section 91 (e) of the RPO.
"Election to parliament and upazila parishads will be held as per schedules announced earlier as both the political alliances could not reach consensus," he said, as two days of their frantic efforts ended in disagreement.
On behalf of the caretaker government, which was installed following the 1/11 (2007) changeover amid a political crisis over election issues, urged all political parties to take part in the elections "in greater interest of the nation and sustainable democratic dispensation".
Zillur's written statement came after daylong behind-the-scenes hectic parleys with both BNP chairperson and immediate-past premier Khaleda Zia's 4-party alliance and Awami League president and ex-PM Sheikh Hasina's grand alliance standing apart at two poles.
Earlier on the day, Chief Election Commissioner Dr Shamsul Huda, along with his two Commissioners, had a meeting with Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed at his office where the Commission proposed that the general election could be deferred to December 28 provided both the alliances agreed.
The Chief Adviser also had hectic meetings with his five advisers -- Dr Hossain Zillur, Maj Gen (retd) Ghulam Kader, Hassan Ariff, Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury and Anwarul Iqbal -- assigned to the tricky task of dealing with the tripartite negotiations.
The chief adviser was also learnt to have consulted the latest situation with military high-ups.
Zillur in his statement noted that the caretaker government, since assumption of office, has maintained all its sincerity to ensure a free, fair, neutral and acceptable election with participation of all the political parties.
The government has taken a number of steps with the highest priority towards holding a successful election through all-party participation.
Referring to the 4-party alliance's four-point demand raised on November 16, packed with an ultimatum, Zillur said despite the demands having been made at the eleventh hour, the government held consultations with the election commission and placed the four new proposals regarding the election considering the greater interest, unity and farsighted welfare of the nation.
Meanwhile, the nomination deadline for Jatiya Sangsad and Upazila elections has been extended by three days to November 23 but the election dates of December 18 and 28 remain unchanged, the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) said Wednesday night.
Adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman had earlier announced that the government wanted to defer the general election to December 28 and upazila polls to January 8.
But now they planned to go ahead with parliamentary polls on December18 since major parties failed to reach a consensus, he said.
CEC ATM Shamsul Huda had said hours before they were ready to reschedule the general election for December 28 if the government could get all parties to agree on the date.
However, the Election Commission had not received any directives from the government until the evening, he told reporters.
"We've waited until the evening, but are yet to get any hints from the advisers," ATM Shamsul Huda said at around 5:45pm as he left office.
"We are still sticking to the existing election schedule for now, but for the sake of participation of all parties, we've no objection to deferring polls."
There has not been any consensus between the Awami League-led and BNP-led alliances on the election commission and government's latest propositions regarding the rescheduling of the parliament and upazila elections, the government announcement said.
Election to upazila parishads will also be held on December 28 as per the previously-set schedule.
Announcing the government position in response to the BNP-led alliance's 48-hour ultimatum for conceding to their 4-point demand, Commerce Adviser Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman told a crowded press conference at the CA's office Wednesday evening that the government placed four proposals with the two alliances for a consensus on the crucial issues.
The propositions are: rescheduling election for December 28 instead of December 18, full lifting of the state of emergency at a reasonable time after considering the law-and-order situation ahead of the election, re-fixing upazila election for January 8 instead of December 28, and ensuring highest alert an procedural transparency in application of section 91 (e) of the RPO.
"Election to parliament and upazila parishads will be held as per schedules announced earlier as both the political alliances could not reach consensus," he said, as two days of their frantic efforts ended in disagreement.
On behalf of the caretaker government, which was installed following the 1/11 (2007) changeover amid a political crisis over election issues, urged all political parties to take part in the elections "in greater interest of the nation and sustainable democratic dispensation".
Zillur's written statement came after daylong behind-the-scenes hectic parleys with both BNP chairperson and immediate-past premier Khaleda Zia's 4-party alliance and Awami League president and ex-PM Sheikh Hasina's grand alliance standing apart at two poles.
Earlier on the day, Chief Election Commissioner Dr Shamsul Huda, along with his two Commissioners, had a meeting with Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed at his office where the Commission proposed that the general election could be deferred to December 28 provided both the alliances agreed.
The Chief Adviser also had hectic meetings with his five advisers -- Dr Hossain Zillur, Maj Gen (retd) Ghulam Kader, Hassan Ariff, Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury and Anwarul Iqbal -- assigned to the tricky task of dealing with the tripartite negotiations.
The chief adviser was also learnt to have consulted the latest situation with military high-ups.
Zillur in his statement noted that the caretaker government, since assumption of office, has maintained all its sincerity to ensure a free, fair, neutral and acceptable election with participation of all the political parties.
The government has taken a number of steps with the highest priority towards holding a successful election through all-party participation.
Referring to the 4-party alliance's four-point demand raised on November 16, packed with an ultimatum, Zillur said despite the demands having been made at the eleventh hour, the government held consultations with the election commission and placed the four new proposals regarding the election considering the greater interest, unity and farsighted welfare of the nation.
Meanwhile, the nomination deadline for Jatiya Sangsad and Upazila elections has been extended by three days to November 23 but the election dates of December 18 and 28 remain unchanged, the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) said Wednesday night.
Adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman had earlier announced that the government wanted to defer the general election to December 28 and upazila polls to January 8.
But now they planned to go ahead with parliamentary polls on December18 since major parties failed to reach a consensus, he said.
CEC ATM Shamsul Huda had said hours before they were ready to reschedule the general election for December 28 if the government could get all parties to agree on the date.
However, the Election Commission had not received any directives from the government until the evening, he told reporters.
"We've waited until the evening, but are yet to get any hints from the advisers," ATM Shamsul Huda said at around 5:45pm as he left office.
"We are still sticking to the existing election schedule for now, but for the sake of participation of all parties, we've no objection to deferring polls."