‘Voter turnout, not number of parties, yardstick of credible poll’

Awami League (AL) presidium member Amir Hossain Amu yesterday said voter turnout should be the yardstick to measure credibility of an election, not the number of contending political parties.
He made the observation to a query whether the December 18 election would be credible if the BNP-Jamaat coalition opts not to take part in it.
The top AL leader, who returned from Europe Thursday, said, "Why would the election not be acceptable with them standing aside when people are so excited at the prospect of going to the polls."
Speaking to The Daily Star at his Eskaton residence, he said an election might not be credible even with all parties participating in it if voters show up in small numbers.
Meanwhile, AL acting president Zillur Rahman yesterday observed that plotting is on to foil the December 18 polls. He directed his party men to be on alert.
He said this when Awami Jubo League General Secretary Mirza Azam, released on bail the previous day, went to meet him at his Gulshan residence.
The AL acting chief said the government must hold the election on schedule.
He said, "We will have to watch out for attempts to bring the anti-Liberation War forces to power."
The senior most AL leader asked why Jamaat Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojahid has not been detained despite a warrant for his arrest.
TALK WITH AMU
The veteran AL leader said the government must carry on its efforts to hold the parliamentary election on December 18.
It should not bother much if a party threatens to boycott the polls on “illogical grounds”.
Amu observed that international assistance might start flowing in once an elected government takes over after a free and fair election.
"We have told officials at the European Union not to take seriously election boycott on flimsy excuses," he said adding that seeking to delay the polls under the pretext of preparing for registration is not acceptable.
He however said the demands for withdrawal of the state of emergency and deferral of upazila polls are logical.
Mentioning a telephone conversation with AL President Sheikh Hasina, who is now abroad, Amu said the former prime minister has asked them to get rid of all misunderstandings and work in unison towards the election.
He said the AL chief might return home in the second week of November.