India presses on with Myanmar defence supplies in show of support

For God’s sake, do not boycott polls: AL to BNP

 

Stalwarts of the ruling Awami League and the opposition BNP have engaged in a face-to-face discussion for the first time in a while over an election-time government. 

 

The roundtable discussion took place at the closing ceremony of a workshop titled ‘Advancing youth leadership and participation for peaceful elections’ on Thursday.

HT Imam, Political Adviser of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has called on the BNP to contest in the next parliamentary polls assuring them of a “proper, participatory election.”

But BNP Standing Committee member Abdul Moyeen Khan said: “We want the assurance from the Election Commission.”

The Democracy International arranged the two-day workshop at a Dhaka hotel.

The BNP boycotted the general elections in 2014 and currently sits outside parliament.

It has threatened to “resist” the national elections due between late 2018 and early 2019, in case a ‘non-partisan’ caretaker government is not formed to oversee voting. 

On the other hand, the ruling Awami League had been reiterating its stance that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will preside over the next parliamentary polls as per the Constitution.   

At Thursday’s discussion, Imam said the election is not dependant on the government; rather, it is dependent on the participation of all political parties including the BNP.

The Election Commission will organise the polls with help of the executive, the prime minister's adviser said.

“For God’s sake, do not act the way you did in 2013. Do not boycott the polls or try resisting it.

“Spare us the arsons you did in name of resisting,” he said.

Awami League leader Abdur Razzaque said: “Our prime minister has said that we want an inclusive, free, and fair election. The government is determined to ensure that.”

BNP leader Moyeen Khan responded by saying that they do not want assurances from the prime minister or the government.

“The duty to ensure that is of the Election Commission,” he asserted.

“We would have been glad if Dr Razzaque quoted Hasina as saying ‘government will ensure that the Election Commission works freely; we will not interfere.’."

The Election Commission alone cannot ensure a fair election, Imam replied.

“The Constitution clearly states that the election-time government works as the interim government with limited power. It cannot start any project or make decisions on matters related to the election,” he pointed out.

“It is not that the government does not have anything to do here. It has to aid the Election Commission. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina only highlighted this fact.”

Alluding to the formation of caretaker government in 2007, Razzaque said: “Imagine Khaleda Zia as prime minister and Iajuddin Ahmed as president. Iajuddin becomes adviser of the caretaker government. Think how the election would have looked like under that government.”

At that time, Awami League-led alliance announced that it would boycott the election. The military-backed caretaker government, headed by Fakhruddin Ahmed, took power on Jan 11 that year and it stalled the election for two years.

 “So first we need to think how we can ensure the participation of all,” the Awami League leader argued.

Senior BNP leader Nazrul Islam Khan said: “We need a neutral Election Commission for that to happen. We also need a government that will not contest in the polls. Our friends from the Awami League demanded for caretaker government in 1996 when such a situation arose.”

Janina Jaruzelski, USAID Mission Director in Bangladesh, and Katie Croake, Chief of Party for Democracy International in Bangladesh, also spoke at the event.