Major poll alliances ready to lock horns

The battle of ballot between the two major electoral alliances formally kicks off today after a lapse of about two years as candidates from the BNP-led four-party combine finally file nominations for December 29 parliamentary polls.
Most of the contenders from the Awami League (AL)-led alliance have already filed nominations as they were preparing for the polls earlier scheduled for December 18. Those who are yet to register their names for the polls race will do it today, the last day for submitting nominations.
As the four-party coalition decided to join the electoral race, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday registered her name on the voter list under special jurisdiction of the Election Commission (EC) to qualify for contesting the election.
Intending contenders can file nomination papers with the offices of Returning Officers (ROs) and Assistant Returning Officers (AROs) across the country from 9:00am to 5:00 pm. And the ROs will scrutinise those on December 3 and 4, and announce which ones are valid and which are not.
The EC Secretariat has asked the ROs to send the list of intending candidates to Bangladesh Bank and utility offices by tonight to check whether they are loan or bill defaulters, sources said.
And Election Commissioner Muhammed Sohul Hussain yesterday said the armed forces would be deployed across the country from December 24 to ensure security for holding the election peacefully. They will help maintain law and order till December 31, Sohul told reporters at his office.
According to an earlier decision taken at a high level meeting at the EC, the armed forces were supposed to be deployed from December 12 as the polls were previously scheduled for December 18.
Meanwhile, components of both the major alliances have been holding a series of meetings over sharing of seats for the election, limiting the polls race mainly between the two major combines for the first time since restoration of parliamentary democracy in 1990.
Registered with the EC, a total of 39 political parties are qualified for contesting the polls, but most of them have joined the two coalitions led by archrivals BNP and AL.
Aspirants are filing nominations for the second time for contesting the 9th parliamentary election.
Earlier in December 2006, they filed nominations for the election slated for January 22 last year, but it could not be held due to a grave political situation that prompted the president to declare the state of emergency on January 11.
In the run up to that scheduled (cancelled) polls, most of the candidates from the BNP-led combine filed nominations before expiry of the last date for it while the AL-led grand electoral alliance stepped into the electoral race on the last day.
An almost reverse situation is being witnessed this time. At that time, the AL-led alliance stepped back from the polls race on the last date for withdrawal of candidature, alleging that all electoral preparations by the government were intended to 'stage-manage the election in favour of BNP-Jamaat-led four-party alliance'.
But this time the AL- led alliance is firmly preparing for the upcoming polls while doubts still persist as to whether the BNP- led four-party combine will finally remain in the battle of ballot as their demands for withdrawal of the state of emergency and scrapping of the EC's authority to cancel candidates have not yet been met.
The four-party has also been alleging that the present caretaker government is working to ensure victory of a 'certain' political party in the polls.