November 24, 2008	Monday	Ziqa'ad 25, 1429

DHAKA, Nov 23: Bangladesh’s top election official on Sunday said polls to return the country to democratic rule would be held on Dec 29, in line with the demands of the party of ex-premier Khaleda Zia.Chief election commissioner A.T.M. Shamsul Huda said the new date for the landmark polls, the first in seven years, had been set after consultations with the country’s two main political parties.

“The ninth parliamentary elections will be held on Dec 29,” Huda said.

“We hope this new schedule will be accepted by the country’s political parties and they will start (their) election campaign in a festive mood from tomorrow,” he said.

The commission late on Saturday announced that the planned Dec 18 polls would be delayed and a new date would be declared on Sunday.

The move is seen as a compromise to ensure the polls are perceived as credible and that all major political parties participate.

A four-party alliance, led by Zia’s powerful Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), had demanded the delay before it would take part.

The right-of-centre BNP-led alliance, which won a two-thirds majority in the last elections in 2001, also wants the interim authorities to lift a state of emergency that has been in place for almost two years.

The chief election commissioner said the emergency is expected to be lifted from mid-December when the nomination process for the election would end.

“We have given a commitment to the two parties that we would strongly recommend to the government so that emergency is withdrawn. We have already told the government to take steps in this regard,” he said.

“We will do whatever is necessary for free and fair polls. We are determined to hold a neutral and fair election,” he added.

The commission also moved the date of nationwide district council polls from Dec 28 to Jan 22, which was another key demand.

The BNP’s major rival, the left-of-centre Awami League, said through spokesman Syed Ashraful Islam that it was committed to the previous date of Dec 18 and was not keen on a delay.

Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina Wajed said: “We have been put in a difficult situation with the election schedule changed four times. But the elections cannot be foiled.” In a briefing hours before the announcement, BNP secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain said his party and allies would accept any date after Dec 28.

Since the BNP asked for the election to be deferred almost a week ago, government ministers have been ferrying between talks with the BNP and the Awami League to try and resolve the standoff.

The government announced on Wednesday it had not been able to reach a consensus with the parties and there would be no delay.

But 24 hours later Khaleda said the BNP would take part if the date was moved back and the emergency lifted, prompting ministers to begin talks with both sides again.

Khaleda also urged the government to defer nationwide district council polls by at least a month from Dec 28 and said the army should stay out of the political process.—AFP