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Emergency to stay until elections

G4 tells Time magazine; his remark kicks up a political uproar

Staff Correspondent
Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed has said the caretaker government wants to continue with the state of emergency until the general elections to "retain control" over the old problems of money and muscle power during polls.
Meanwhile, political parties yesterday expressed mixed reaction to the comments of the chief adviser on the emergency.
"One of the problems with the election process has been that money and muscle power were
used in the past; in order to control that, 1 think emergency rules will help," he said in an interview with the Time magazine in New York during his recent participation to the 63rd UNGA session.
Replying to a question whether Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina would be allowed to stand for the election, he said "Well, that will depend on the Election Commission. The law under which elections will be held stipulates certain conditions for anyone to submit a nomination. Anyone who
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satisfies these conditions is eligible."
When Time World Editor Boby Ghosh, who took the interview, asked if there be an election without them [Khaleda and Hasina] Fakhruddin declined tospeculateon that.
Turning to lifting of emergency as demanded by the political parties, he referred to the recently held local body elections and said:" Wc relaxed the emergency rules to allow normal election campaigning. We haven't heard any complaint from any of the candidates."
On a supplementary question, the CA said: "Yes, but we are explaining that there is no reason elections can't be held free, fair, credible elections with relaxed emergency rules."
Responding to another question, he said: "... there has not been any disruption of normal economic activities during the past 20 months. But we'd like this to continue until the elections. "
Asked why the elections are being held now, Fakhruddin said soon after he took over as the chief adviser, he announced that they would hand over power to the next elected government as soon as EC completed a proper voter-registration process.
He said his interim government has done some Institutional reforms to EC, the Anti-Corruption Commission and other areas to establish good governance. "We've set up a national human rights com-mission, passed the Right to Information Act. strengthened local governments."
Asked if he is confident that these reforms are irreversible, the chief adviser said he felt quite confident because these reforms were demanded by the civil society and the political parties.
"I do hope that the next government and the governments thereafter will strengthen these reforms."
Asked about the current status of the anti-corruption drive that had landed former ruling politicians in jail after the 1 /11 changeover, he said: "It’s gone well. Quite a good number of people have been convicted by the courts. Cases against others are continuing in the course of law."
Asked how many people have been convicted, he said probably about 70 or 75 people. "But the anti-corruption strategy also has expanded to include preventive measures. So we are building up a campaign against corruption through the independent AntiCorruption Commission. I believe that this kind of comprehensive approach ultimately will make
corruption feature less and less in our daily lives,"
Fakhruddin disagreed when asked if politicians under corruption charges come hack to power in the elections and if people may think it’s all been wasted.
"I don't think so. As I said, a good number has been convicted. Yes, some of those accused are released on bail and that has been done through due process of law."
Replying to another question about the two former prime ministers, he said: "Yes, they are still facing trial."
REACTION
The Awami League (AL) and BNP yesterday rejected what the chief adviser told the Time about the need for continuing with the emergency rules until die polls.
The Jatiya Party however said political parties should consider the plan conditionally.
"We don’t agree with what he said. Wc oppose it," acting AL president Zillur Rahman told The Daily Star over phone last night.
He said the emergency rules have to go in order to hold a free and fair election, adding they have already made their position clear to the government and EC.
BNP Vice-president MK Anwar said the chief adviser has "betrayed " die people.
"In his address to the nation, he had committed to lifting the emergency rules in the shortest possible time. Now it seems he wants to continue with it until the last day of his tenure," he toldThe Daily Star.
He said the government should clearly explain why they want to continue with the emergency powers.
Acting Jatiya Parry chairman barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud said the national election would be free, fair and acceptable if the state of emergency'is lifted.
He however said political parries should consider whether the govern -ment can hold a free election under the emergency rules by lifting every ban on election-related matters.
Workers' Party President Rashed Khan Menon said the government can keep muscle power and black money from the election by strictly enforcing the eXistinglaw's.
He said acceptability of the general elections would come into question if held under the emergency.