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PM blasts opposition for not attending JS
1/23/2006
KALAROA, Satkhira, January 22 (BSS): Prime Minister Khaleda Zia blasted Sunday the main opposition party for not attending Parliament sessions and issuing ultimatums for resignation of the democratically elected government.
"They (opposition) are asking the government of two-thirds majority to step down. The BNP-led alliance has been mandated for five years to run the country and the people will evaluate its performance in the next polls," she said a mammoth rally at GKMK Pilot High School here.
Khaleda strongly criticised the opposition lawmakers who are availing all the facilities of parliament members (MPs) but not playing their due roles in the House. "They are not discharging their responsibilities in parliament but taking all facilities and making foreign trips as MPs," she said.
The conspiracy has been going on to break the four-party alliance by creating anarchy in the country, she said and urged the people to capture those involved in terrorism in the name of Islam. "Islam is the religion of peace. Those who indulge in terrorism in the name of the Islam are the enemies of Islam, country, democracy and development," she said.
Meanwhile, BNP Secretary General and LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan said that steps would be taken as per constitution if some parliamentary seats fell vacant due to continuous abstention of Awami League lawmakers from the Jatiya Sangsad.
"We will take next steps which will be beneficial for the country if some parliamentary seats fell vacant following abstention of AL parliamentarians from the House," he said while talking to journalists from different print and electronic media at his secretariat office in the city.
Mannan Bhuiyan said the government is eager to ensure the presence of Awami League lawmakers in the Jatiya Sangsad so that they could take part in lively discussion on the floor of the House on different national issues.
"It is their (AL) right and re
Brushing aside the AL allegation that opposition was not given enough time for the discussion in the Jatiya Sangsad, the BNP secretary general said their allegations in this regard are not based on facts.
When asked about the appointment of two new election commissioners in the Election Commission (EC), he said the appointments were made in line with the constitution. If required, the government can appoint one or two more election commissioners for smoothly running the Election Commission, he said.
Mannan Bhuiyan said Awami League, when it was in power, appointed two election commissioners ignoring the demand of the then opposition BNP. "Did they do it at that time after discussion with BNP? Did they at that time appoint persons not of their choice as CEC and ECs?," he posed the questions and recalled that BNP at that time protested those partisan appointment as CEC and ECs and they disregarded opposition's opinion when they were in the power.
Referring to preparation of fresh voter's list, the LGRD minister said it is a continuous process. Nobody can include fake voters in the list as the list is being prepared by the teachers in presence of local leaders of different political parties, he said.
He said the BNP believes that opposition would respond positively to sit in a dialogue with the government on any issue and return to the House.
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