AL yet to publish manifesto

With only 13 days left before the 10th national elections, the ruling Awami League is yet to publish its election manifesto.

When asked to highlight the surprise in the manifesto, Awami League presidium member Nuh-Ul-Alam Lenin, who is a member of the manifesto’s preparation committee, told the Dhaka Tribune: “Last time we published the manifesto 17 days before polls, but this year we will do it one week before –  and that is the surprise.”

On Saturday Co-Chairman of the Awami League Election Steering Committee HT Imam told journalists that the party election manifesto would be announced within one or two days.

Party sources said there would be no special attractions in the manifesto for the 10th national elections, and that it was an upgrade on the manifesto for the 2008 elections.

An Awami League member involved in the preparation of the manifesto told the Dhaka Tribune that it was being prepared as a continuation of the 2008 manifesto, which was unique and had set 2021 as the target year for many of its development goals.

The sources said, in the manifesto the Awami League was likely to focus on increasing per capita income to US$1500, producing 24,000MW electricity, becoming a middle-income country by 2021, reducing poverty to 13%, completing the trials and executing the sentences of the war criminals.

The manifesto would likely also include promises of attaining food autarky, containing corruption and establishing good governance. The slogan of the election manifesto for 2014 is likely to be: “Peace, Democracy and Development.”

According to sources, a draft of the manifesto is now on party President Sheikh Hasina’s table. The manifesto will be finalised at a working committee meeting.

In the last election, Sheikh Hasina had started her election campaign by announcing the manifesto. However, this year the manifesto may be declared after the first phase of the party chief’s election campaign, which will start on December 26.