ELECTION-TIME GOVT: BNP accepts HC formulas’ ‘underlying essence’

Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Sunday said that it had accepted the ‘underlying essence’ of the High Court’s observations on formation of an election-time government in the country.
The party, however, observed that the formulas were devoid of reality and impracticable.
At a press conference at the party central office in Naya Paltan, BNP spokesperson Asaduzzaman Ripon said, ‘The underlying essence of the HC’s observations is that no election could be held under ruling party administration.’
‘The High Court’s observations on the election-time government have proved that the January 5 election was not a genuine one and that the next election should be held under neutral government so that all political parties can participate,’ he said.
The High Court bench of Justice Mirza Hussain Haider and Justice Muhammad Khurshid Alam Sarkar detailed two formulas in their recent judgment.
In its first formula, the HC suggested that a cabinet could be formed for 90 days during the electioneering drafting 50 ministers from political parties based on the percentage of votes they bagged in the immediate past election.
For the sake of an inclusive election, the suggestions go on; five technocrat ministers might be taken from the parties who had boycotted the election.
In its second formula, the court suggested that the wining party would govern the country for a period of first four years and the main opposition party would run the country for the rest one year of the total 5 year tenure.
Ripon, also BNP’s international affairs secretary, said, the formulas ‘lacked reality’ and ‘could not be applicable’, but BNP accepted the ‘underlying essence’ of the HC observations ‘where people’s expectation of a genuine elections under a neutral government was reflected.’
‘The government should now understand the underlying meaning of the observations and should come up with early elections,’ he said.
Pointing to the Saturday’s infightings of Awami League in Kushtia during the Mourning Day observation, the BNP leader said, ‘the government is not in a good position and it is disintegrating on itself due to infightings’.
‘The government should hold an election to save itself from destruction’, he said.
While responding to a reporter, Ripon said, ‘BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia does never celebrate her birthday on her own, but the party activists do it where she sometimes attends.’
BNP leaders Asadul Habib Dulu, Abdus Salam Azad, Helen Zerin Khan, among others, were present.

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