Removal of CEC, two new commissioners demanded

Awami Jubo League leaders and activists burn an effigy of chief election commissioner at Bangabandhu Avenue in the city yesterday. PHOTO: STAR

Addressing a rally in front of its central office on Bangabandhu Avenue in the capital, the Jubo League leaders termed the new appointments 'politically motivated', and said the government knows very well that the people would not vote for them in the next election and for this they are trying to deny the people universal franchise through politicising the EC.

The Jubo League organised the rally protesting the appointments of the two 'controversial' election commissioners and the attempt to kill AL Joint General Secretary Obaidul Quader. The Dhaka city unit AL expressed solidarity with the demonstration. The protesters marched through the city streets following the rally.

Later they also burnt an effigy of the CEC in front of Jubo League's central office.

Addressing the rally, Jubo League General Secretary Mirza Azam MP said, "The alliance government wants to defeat us through manipulating the voter list."

He said the government had appointed two 'controversial' persons to the EC. He also said SM Zakaria is a close ally of the four-party alliance government and that he was the mastermind of the 'media-coup' in favour of the erstwhile 'autocrat' HM Ershad during the elections in 1986.

Regarding another newly appointed election commissioner, Justice Mahfuzur Rahman, he said the army had recovered firearms from his residence during Operation Clean Heart and had arrested one of his relatives in connection with the recovery.

Jubo League Chairman Jahangir Kabir Nanak said the new appointments are a part of the ruling alliance's conspiracy to manipulate the next poll. "This is unconstitutional and done with an ill political motive...we don't accept it. We reject the appointments," he said.

Nanak also said the alliance government wants to come back to power through 'rigging' the next elections to safeguard the money they have 'looted from the people' in the last four years. Nanak also accused the alliance government of fabricating artificial price hikes of essentials, patronising militants, and sponsoring bomb blasts across the country.

Demanding immediate removal of the CEC and the two new election commissioners, he said Juba League would never allow the appointments to stand. Nanak urged the party activists to resist Islami Chhatra Shibir, Juba Dal, and Chhatra Dal activists 'who are preparing the voter list'.

Dhaka City Unit AL General Secretary Mofazzel Hossain Chowdhury Maya said the alliance government has been damaging the democratic political environment in the country through politicising the EC. He said the city residents would never allow the 'extra-constitutional' appointments of the two 'controversial' persons to the EC.

He urged the people to make the dawn-to-dusk hartal (general strike) across the country on January 22, called by the 14-party opposition coalition, a success.

Presided over by the city (south) unit president, Mohiuddin Ahmed Mohi, the rally was also addressed by Jubo League leaders Harun-ur-Rashid Harun, Mujibur Rahman Chowdhury, Farook Hossain, Ajoy Kor Khokon, Nurunnabi Chowdhury Shaon, Ismail Chowdhury Samrat and Anwar Iqbal Shantu.