DHAKA, 17 September 2006 — Bangladesh’s main opposition said yesterday it accepted an offer by the prime minister for election reform talks but would still go ahead with a “million man rally” to push the government for changes.
“We’re ready to talk with the government on election reforms including reforms of the election commission and the caretaker government,” Awami League general secretary Abdul Jalil told AFP.
But the Awami League and its 13 allies would proceed with plans for a rally of one million protesters in Dhaka on Monday to maintain pressure on the government for electoral reforms, Jalil said.
“We appreciate the prime minister’s offer for talks to end the crisis. But we have questions about her sincerity. We’re waiting for a written proposal and date for the dialogue,” Jalil said.
The opposition parties have held a slew of strikes and protests over the past 15 months demanding reforms to the electoral system.
Hopes of an end to the impasse emerged Thursday when Prime Minister Khaleda Zia proposed talks be held on reforms between the party secretaries of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Awami League. “Ask your party general secretary to sit for a dialogue with our party secretary general,” Khaleda said after earlier rejecting any dialogue on the subject.
In about 40 days, Khaleda ‘s four-party Islamist-allied government is slated to hand over power to a non-party caretaker government that will oversee elections to be held by January 2007.
But the composition of the caretaker government, headed by a former head of the Supreme Court, has stirred controversy in the South Asian country known for its deeply polarized politics.
The caretaker government system is aimed at ensuring elections are held fairly as key posts in the Bangladesh civil service are dominated by political appointments.
But the main opposition Awami League and its allies say reforms of the election commission and caretaker government system is a must, alleging the government has picked its “loyal man” to head the temporary administration.
The prime minister had previously ruled out reforms, saying elections would be held according to existing constitutional provisions — even if the main opposition boycotted them.
