By Xinhua,
Dhaka : Bangladesh moves one step forward toward the much awaited general elections as the Chief Adviser of the caretaker government Fakhruddin Ahmed announced the ninth parliamentary elections will be held on Dec. 18 this year.
A new parliament will be elected and a new political government will be formed after a lapse of two years.
While addressing the nation over the state-owned radio and television on Saturday, the head of the government said, “We have embarked upon a journey to handover power to a political government through free, fair, neutral and acceptable elections.”
Political analysts say the announcement of the specific date for the parliamentary elections remove doubts to large extent about the uncertainty hovering over the polls.
The parliamentary elections were originally scheduled on Jan. 22, 2007, but the bloody political violence between major parties over the polls had forced President Iajuddin Ahmed to promulgate the state of emergency to cool down the volatile situation. The election was also postponed.
The chief adviser assuming the office on Jan. 12 last year told the nation that his aim is to handover power to an elected government to well-establish democracy and never ever deviate from this end.
To clean politics from corruption, the caretaker government cracked down on bigwig politicians including two former prime ministers — Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina — and put them behind the bar on corruption cases.
But Khaleda’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Hasina-led Awami League, the country’s two major parties, had cautioned that they would not participate in the elections unless their leaders are released and the emergency is fully withdrawn.
In positive developments, Khaleda, who ruled the country twice from 1991 to 1996 and 2001 to 2006, was released on bail on Sept. 11 while Sheikh Hasina, in power from 1996 to 2001, was paroled in June on health grounds. Many top politicians of the two major parties were also released recently.
However, whether the demands of the major parties for lifting the emergency before the elections can be met remained unknown as there was no firm assurance from the chief adviser about the complete lifting of the emergency.
The chief adviser in his address categorically assured whatever is needed for holding free and fair elections his government will not hesitate or step back to do it.
He said necessary rules and regulations of the state of emergency will be relaxed or rescind to facilitate the candidates taking necessary preparations and election campaign so the polls could be held in a lively atmosphere with spontaneous participation of all.
In instant reactions, Awami League acting president Zillur Rahman, BNP vice-president MK Anwar welcomed the announcement of specific date for elections but they kept on pressing the full lifting of the emergency to create congenial atmosphere for the elections.
Political analysts here said the caretaker government and political parties may need more talks to reach consensus on the related issues.