AL, BNP wrangling over EC roadmap
The ruling Awami League has said it would not accept any act of the Election Commission if that goes beyond the constitution.
The BNP, however, alleged the government and the commission were speaking in the same voice.
The EC on July 16 announced a roadmap for the 11th national elections. The ruling party welcomed the move terming it implementable, but BNP alleged the roadmap was a “blueprint” to bring AL back to power again.
AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader at a programme at Narayanganj yesterday said BNP would continue to raise various allegations against the EC unless the party assumed the office.
He added the AL would criticise the commission only when it would go beyond the constitutional provisions.
Talking to journalists while inspecting the operation of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority's mobile court in Signboard area of Narayanganj, Quader, also the minister for road transport and bridges, said the AL wants to win the polls with people's mandate.
“The Election Commission cannot take the Awami League to power. It has no authority to bring any political party to power. So, there is no basis of BNP's allegations,” he observed.
He alleged BNP was trying to make the EC controversial in a bid to thwart the election process by raising various allegations.
On the other side, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said there must be an election-time government during the polls.
Speaking at a party programme in Khulna yesterday, the BNP leader said the election-time government would assist the EC to hold the polls in a completely fair manner.
“And all the political parties will have to be given their rights and be allowed to carry out their political activities before the elections,” he added.
He alleged the ruling party was conspiring to hold “another” stage-managed election and said the AL “never paid heed to good words”.
“Its only goal is to cling to state power by any means. That is why it is hatching conspiracy to hold a stage-managed election again,” he added.
Fakhrul also alleged that the EC had failed to earn the confidence of BNP as well as the general public.
Referring to a comment of Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda that fair elections are possible under the current government, Fakhrul said the CEC by saying that frustrated the people.
“His [CEC's] comment is just a reflection of the remarks of the prime minister, ministers and ruling Awami League leaders,” he noted.
How a party could keep confidence in the commission when the CEC said it is not their duty to level the field for all political parties before the polls, he asked.
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