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Awami League (AL) General Secretary and 14-party coordinator Abdul Jalil reiterated that there was no alternative to reforms in the caretaker government and the Election Commission (EC) to hold a free and fair election in due time.
"The next general elections must be held in due time after implementation of the reform proposals placed by the 14-party combine," said Abdul Jalil in an interview with the BDNEWS in the city Wednesday.
He said the government has to take all necessary steps to hold free and fair polls fulfilling the expectation of the countrymen.
"Neither any conspiracy nor any 'engineering election' of the ruling coalition will be tolerated," warned the AL general secretary.
Replying to a query on the present EC and the next election, Jalil asserted that no election would be allowed to take place in the country without reforms in the caretaker government and the EC.
"The task of making the voters' list up-to-date can't be done under the present EC, as it has lost its credibility and acceptability to conduct the polls," he said.
The 14-party coordinator said a new EC must be constituted on the basis of consensus among the political parties and then it has to be given the responsibility of conducting the election and making the voters' list up-to-date.
"It will take 30 to 45 days at best to make the voters' list updated and the government can help arranging the election in due time if it wishes to do so," Abdul Jalil expressed the hope.
When he was asked what would be the role of the opposition if the government does not play a positive role in implementing the reform proposals and holding a free and fair election, he said in the past, all the tyrants had to bow down to the people's demands in face of united movement of the people.
"We will compel the coalition government to give in to the people's demand for the greater interest of democracy and national freedom," asserted Abdul Jalil.
Referring to the comments of BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan on reform dialogues, he said no matter what happens, they would never sit with the war criminals, who opposed the liberation war.
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