The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff reporter

Awami League (AL) presidium member Tofail Ahmed yesterday welcomed the decision of the Election Commission (EC) that it would announce the schedule for the long-awaited parliamentary polls on November 2 and said that there was no alternative to holding the election on time to establish democracy in the country.

Tofail made this remark while talking to reporters after a meeting of the 14-party alliance at the party's head office.

"This decision of the EC has ended all doubts over holding the parliamentary polls on December 18," he said.

The AL leader made this comment following the announcement of the EC that it would announce the schedules for both the national and the upazila polls on November 2.

He also hoped that the government would take initiative to create a congenial atmosphere for a fair and credible national election by implementing the nine point demands, which they placed to the Chief Adviser (CA) during the dialogue held last Thursday.

Asked about the agenda of the meeting of 14-party alliance, he said: "During the meeting we emphasised on keeping the alliance united to win the upcoming national election." Tofail was hopeful of enlarging the alliance ahead of the national election, which might be finalised after the party chief Sheikh Hasina returns home and said, "A larger alliance will be formed with the progressive and democratic forces."

When asked whether Sheikh Hasina would be able to participate in the national elections or not, he replied," Hasina faces no legal obstacle in contesting the elections. The advisers cannot say who are allowed to participate in the elections and who are not. Only the Constitution of the country can decide it."

"If someone is barred from participating in the national polls by force, we will think that the government does not want the elections to go ahead," he noted.

He also opposed holding of the upazila polls during the tenure of the caretaker government and under the state of emergency.

Demanding immediate lifting of state of emergency, he said that the political parties were not allowed to conduct political activities, as the state of emergency was prevailing in the country. No political parties can survive without political activities.He also demanded unconditional release of Sheikh Hasina so that she could lead the party to contest in the national elections and urged the government to ensure maximum security for Sheikh Hasina.

He held President Iajuddin Ahmed responsible for the anarchic situation in the country from October 28 of 2007 to January 11 of 2008 saying," If he did not become the CA, the anarchic situation would not been created."

He also criticised the damaging of the Baul singer Lalon's sculpture and termed it an attack on the non-communal spirit of the countrymen.

MA Aziz, acting president of Dhaka City Awami League, presided over the meeting. Advocate Kamrul Islam, acting general secretary of Dhaka city Awami League, among others, spoke.