LDA may consider boycotting polls
The Left Democratic Alliance (LDA) yesterday said it might consider boycotting the 11th parliamentary election due to the “repeated failure” of the Election Commission (EC) in ensuring a “free and fair atmosphere”.
The coalition of eight left-leaning political parties said they have submitted nomination papers as part of their movement, but the activities of the EC and the government have made them doubtful. They were speaking at a press conference at Mukti Bhaban in Dhaka, where LDA Coordinator Shah Alam read out a written statement.
“It's unprecedented that the returning officers (RO) have cancelled nominations over correctable and silly mistakes. This has proved that the EC has no control over the ROs, who are under the executive department,” said Shah Alam, also general secretary of Communist Party of Bangladesh.
He alleged that the ruling alliance leaders are campaigning using government facilities while the opposition party candidates are on the run due to “ghost cases” and fearing arrest.
LDA leaders also alleged that the prime minister had held meetings with Awami League nomination seekers at Gono Bhaban breaching the electoral code of conduct, but the EC remained silent about it.
Nomination of CEC's nephew is a “gift” from the ruling party to please him, they said, adding that the EC secretary's guideline for observers to act as “statue” will help implement the government's plan for election engineering, they alleged.
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