DHAKA, Nov 22: Bangladesh’s controversial election chief has bowed to pressure to step aside, the president said on Wednesday after thousands of opposition supporters poured onto the streets to demand his removal.
President Iajuddin Ahmed said election commissioner M.A. Aziz has agreed to take leave so that the interim government could hold general elections in January without him overseeing them.
“The chief election commissioner has agreed to take three months' leave on condition that he is going to stay in the country during the three months and the government ensures his full security,” the president said in a televised speech.
The development fulfils a key demand of the Awami League and its 13 leftist allies, who had said fair elections were impossible with Mr Aziz in place and threatened to boycott the polls unless he was removed.
The president said he expected the month-long political crisis was now over after bowing to opposition demands. He also said he would appoint two new election commissioners.
“Now I think his decision will end the political deadlock,” Mr Iajuddin said, urging the political parties to prepare for the elections.
But in a further twist to the crisis, the Awami League said the resignation was not enough. General Secretary Abdul Jalil, reacting to earlier reports that Mr Aziz's resignation was imminent, demanded his three deputies also take leave.
“We've heard that the chief election commissioner has taken leave,” Jalil said after meeting the president, who is also chief of the interim government. “We cannot accept this half measure to reconstitute the election commission. So we have demanded the removal of all controversial election commissioners.”—AFP
