DHAKA Reuter: Bangladesh’s major opposition groups have announced that they will boycott a Presidential election due on October 15 signaling a possible crisis for President Husain Mohammad Ershad.
Three political alliances and the Moslem fundamentalist Jamat-E-Islami party charged that Ershad would rig the poll to stay in power and said they would not take part
Sheikh Hasina Wajed leader of opposition alliance said results were already prepared.
Begum Khaleda Zia head of a seven party grouping said no election would be free with Ershad in power and martial law still in force “We have the hindsight of past elections” she said in a statement.
The pro government Jatiya Party won a general election in May and by elections last month amid opposition accusations of widespread fraud and violence.
A largely unopposed Presidential victory for Ershad could damage his credibility and some political observers predicted that he might postpone the poll to try to persuade at least some of his major opponents to take part.
But Abdul Matin the Jatiya Party Secretarial General said the election should be held on schedule.
“The people are with us and they are ready to exercise their franchise” he told Reuters.
Ershad who has ruled Bangladesh under martial law since seizing power in a coup in 1982 has said he hopes to win by a large margin as a civilian candidate of Jatiya.
He resigned his post as army chief last month and has said he will end martial law after the poll.
Article extracted from this publication >> September 12, 1986
