Bangladesh opposition threatens election boycott
BANGLADESH: Bangladesh's main opposition Awami League party
has threatened to boycott parliament elections next January, citing a
fraudulent voters' list released by the election commission earlier this
month.
The election commission released a list of more than 91 million
voters, including 21 million new voters, but the Awami League said many
of the names were fictitious to ensure a victory for the ruling
Bangladesh Nationalist Party.
"There can be no question of participating in an election using a
fraudulent voters list. Also, we will do everything possible to resist
the election," Awami general secretary Abdul Jalil said in a statement
late on Monday.
He didn't elaborate, but political analysts said the opposition would
likely step up a street campaign for wider electoral reforms including
changes in the election commission - which it says is partisan - and to
the country's system of a pre-poll caretaker administration.
The Jamaat-e-Islami, a coalition partner of the ruling party,
rejected the opposition's boycott threat and said any attempt to disrupt
the polls would not be tolerated.
"Bangladeshi people are generally in favour of timely and peaceful
elections. And no party has enough strength to foil the vote," said Ali
Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid, secretary general of Jamaat-e-Islami.
Bangladesh has faced months of street protests, some over lack of
electoral reforms and others over a shortage of electricity. The
opposition has planned a siege of the election commission later this
week and a siege of the capital Dhaka next month. The government has
rejected the protests, challenging the opposition to test its strength
in the elections.
Dhaka, Tuesday, Reuters. |