14-party gets conditional EC recast proposal

bdpublic · Editor Joined: 30 Nov 2006 Posts: 39

Dhaka, Dec 17 (bdnews24.com) – The interim government Sunday offered the Awami League-led 14-party combine a conditional Election Commission recast proposal.

Sources close to the cabinet said it wanted words from the combine that they would put forward no more demands once the two 'controversial' commissioners went on leave. A reply from the combine was pending.

Adviser Shafiqul Haque Chowdhury made the disclosure to journalists at his office saying that EC commissioners SM Zakaria and Mudabbir Hossain Chowdhury may go on leave, but only after the 14-party combine positively approached the proposal.

Shafiq said the combine had been informed of the cabinet decision by telephone.

He said, "The parties are raising demands one after another. If this continues, where will we, the caretakers, go? We have asked the parties to minimise their demands," he added.

On when the election commissioners would be going on leave, the adviser said, "It depends on the attitude of the political parties."

On the election atmosphere, he said, "It is the concern of the players if the ground is not OK, we are mere referees."

Shafiq said he wants to attend Monday's 14-party rally at Paltan Maidan.

"I will listen to what they say. Another initiative will be taken to communicate with them in the evening after we know what they announce at the rally."

On vote rigging, he said rigging occurred in elections all over the world despite steps to prevent it.

"As part of the preventive measure, thousands of poll observers will come. They are being permitted. Envoys of different countries as well as the civil society will watch the polls," he said.

Source: bdnews24.com
http://www.bdnews24.com/details.php?cid=3&id=53140#tp53140

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