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Dhaka: Khalida Zia, former prime minister and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chief, has set a 48-hour ultimatum for lifting the state of emergency and has asked for a fresh schedule for the planned December 18 elections as pre-conditions for participation in the polls.
"BNP and the four-party alliance are declaring that they will contest in the upcoming elections if the government meets this four-point demand within the next 48 hours," she said, emerging from a meeting of her BNP-led four-party alliance late Monday night.
"We hope now the government, showing its good intentions, will create a congenial atmosphere for the polls... Otherwise the Election Commission and the government will be held responsible for the unstable situation regarding the election."
Demands
The other demands of the alliance included scrapping certain clauses of the recently amended Representation of People Order (RPO), that empowers the election commission to scrap candidacies during polls on the basis of complaints and deferring the local government elections by at least one month from the date of the national elections. The local government elections are due to be held soon after the general elections.
Chief Adviser of the interim government Fakhruddin Ahmad called an emergency meeting of his interim cabinet later yesterday to "discuss and review the situation" arising out of the BNP's ultimatum while he talked to a few advisers about the issue over the telephone last night, a government source said.
"He is aware of the latest situation and wants to discuss it with the panel of advisers negotiating with political parties," he said.
Meanwhile, Zia's rival Shaikh Hasina's Awami League said any delay in holding December 18 national election is "inexcusable".
"The election must be held on December 18," Awami League leader Motia Chowdhury told newsmen immediately after Zia's announcement.
Zia's announcement came two days after the interim government hinted it could completely lift emergency rules ahead of December 18 general elections as backstage parleys were underway to negotiate with BNP amid uncertainties about the party's participation in the polls.
Bangladesh: European monitors
The European Commission will deploy a 150-member team of observers to monitor Bangladesh's elections next month, the delegation's head said on Tuesday.
The commission suspended its observation mission when an election scheduled for January 2007 was scrapped by the interim government, but in a statement yesterday said it would participate fully in polls scheduled for December 18.
"It is now incumbent upon all political stakeholders to discharge their democratic duties in a manner which is mindful of the stability and prosperity of this country," said delegation chief Stefan Frowein.
As the countdown to the polls continues, a senior government official said authorities were considering demands as a precondition for participation made by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), one of the two biggest in the country.
Former prime minister Begum Khalida Zia, leader of the BNP, has asked the government to accept by today four demands - including delaying the polls.
The Awami League has already agreed to take part in the December 18 election.
- Reuters
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