Govt trying for controlled polls by not lifting emergency

Awami League (AL) presidium member Matia Chowdhury alleged yesterday that the government is trying to stage a 'controlled election' by not withdrawing the state of emergency completely.
"We have experience of the past elections. Without withdrawing the state of emergency completely, the government wants to hold a controlled election," she told The Daily Star in a telephone conversation.
Matia questioned the government's motive -- and who they want to help by doing so -- when the people of the country want a free and fair election.
Meanwhile, another AL presidium member Abdur Razzak told reporters yesterday that the government will be held responsible if the national election -- holding of which is the caretaker government's constitutional duty -- is hampered due to holding of upazila election at the same time.
Referring to the government's rigid position on holding upazila poll on the scheduled date, Razzak questioned the government's interest in wanting to do so.
During the latest round of talks with the government on October 23, the AL placed a nine-point demand including withdrawal of the state of emergency and deferment of upazila elections.
NDI discussion
Meanwhile, US-based National Democratic Institute (NDI) held a round table discussion with leaders of Awami League (AL) and Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) at a city hotel yesterday on the subject of making the parliament effective.
The discussants recommended that the speaker should leave his party position and act neutrally and also that boycott of the parliament by political parties should be stopped.
They also recommended that the deputy speaker of the House be elected or nominated from the opposition party, and that 40 to 50 percent of the total time of the parliament sessions be given to the opposition parties to take the floor.
AL presidium members Tofail Ahmed and Suranjit Sengupta, acting general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam, AL leaders Col Faruq Khan, Dr Abdur Razzak, Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Mahamudur Rahman Manna and Abdul Mannan took part in the discussion.
LDP presidium members Redwan Ahmed and Syed Didar Bakht also participated in the discussions.