No deviation from Dec 18 polls to be accepted: ALWC
Sunday, 9 November 2008
Awami League Saturday categorically said it would not accept any deferment of the December 18 date for holding the long-delayed parliamentary polls, reports UNB.
After an hour-long Working Committee meeting of the party, its acting general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam said the general election must be held on December 18.
"No deviation from the December 18 polls will be accepted. If so, Awami League, along with the people, will resist it," Islam told reporters after the WC meeting at the Dhanmondi office of party chief Sheikh Hasina Saturday night.
The WC meeting, presided over by Sheikh Hasina, again asked the caretaker government to defer the date for upazila polls.
"Upazila elections are non-political whereas the parliamentary polls completely political. Then, if two such different types of massive polls take place at a time, it can foil each other," Ashraful Islam said.
He also said the Awami League working committee thinks the upazila polls schedule should be declared after the general election.
Ashraful Islam urged all political parties to participate in the polls if "all parties get a congenial atmosphere before the polls".
He asked the government to fully lift the state of emergency immediately, saying that if the emergency law prevails, many parties may use it as an excuse to boycott the polls.
"If any party does not participate in the polls showing excuse of the emergency law, there will be nothing to do. So the government must remove the emergency law immediately," he said.
When asked what Awami League will do if the emergency law is kept in force during the parliamentary polls, Ashraful said they would take the decision as per demand of the time.
Awami League in its working-committee meeting took several decisions, including reforming the party's parliamentary board and the election-conducting committee.
After an hour-long Working Committee meeting of the party, its acting general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam said the general election must be held on December 18.
"No deviation from the December 18 polls will be accepted. If so, Awami League, along with the people, will resist it," Islam told reporters after the WC meeting at the Dhanmondi office of party chief Sheikh Hasina Saturday night.
The WC meeting, presided over by Sheikh Hasina, again asked the caretaker government to defer the date for upazila polls.
"Upazila elections are non-political whereas the parliamentary polls completely political. Then, if two such different types of massive polls take place at a time, it can foil each other," Ashraful Islam said.
He also said the Awami League working committee thinks the upazila polls schedule should be declared after the general election.
Ashraful Islam urged all political parties to participate in the polls if "all parties get a congenial atmosphere before the polls".
He asked the government to fully lift the state of emergency immediately, saying that if the emergency law prevails, many parties may use it as an excuse to boycott the polls.
"If any party does not participate in the polls showing excuse of the emergency law, there will be nothing to do. So the government must remove the emergency law immediately," he said.
When asked what Awami League will do if the emergency law is kept in force during the parliamentary polls, Ashraful said they would take the decision as per demand of the time.
Awami League in its working-committee meeting took several decisions, including reforming the party's parliamentary board and the election-conducting committee.