The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is not yet retreating from its demand for a neutral administration to oversee national elections.
But, insiders say, many of the party’s policymakers are in favour of joining any future elections under any circumstances.
The party chairperson, Khaleda Zia, on Saturday iterated its demand for a neutral election-time government, saying that elections must be held under a neutral government, no matter what it is called.
“A fair election cannot be held under the Awami League-led government. However, it is not necessary that the election should be held under a caretaker government. People will get the chance of exercising franchise if elections are held under a neutral government, no matter what we call it,” the BNP chairperson told a meeting on Saturday.
Such a statement is not new from the BNP chief.
On 16 October 2013, ahead of the 5 January elections, Khaleda Zia had said, “We want free, fair and neutral election which requires a non-party polls-time government. The framework of the election-time government should be non-partisan, no matter whatever the name of the government would be.”
Several sources in the BNP said the party is still in favour of a neutral election-time government and wants to stick to its guns until the last moment.
They said Khaleda’s statement is “tactical” as a sudden retreat from the demand for a neutral election-time government would be embarrassing for the party and would raise questions as to why the party had then boycotted the 5 January elections.
But many of the party leaders are worried over the future of the party, should the present situation continue in office for a long period of time.
Two senior BNP leaders told Prothom Alo that the party should take part in any type of election in future. They said boycotting the 5 January elections was a mistake for the party and it is paying the price for that.
They said the BNP is not a movement-oriented political party and doubted whether any movement in future would be successful.
The two BNP leaders, who preferred anonymity, noted that realising an immediate election would be better for the party and they would raise their voice in the party forum in favour of joining any future elections.
When contacted, BNP spokesperson Asaduzzaman Ripon said the BNP wants a neutral administration to oversee the national elections.
In response to a query as to how a neutral administration could be in place as the constitution no more keeps such a provision, Ripon said, “We have alternative proposals in this connection and it will be placed if the government sits with us.”
Source: Prothom Alo
