The ruling Awami League has begun the process of finalising its candidates for the next general election amid a standoff with the BNP-led opposition over the nature of polls-time administration.
Party chief Sheikh Hasina met her party leaders of seven districts from seven divisions at her official residence on Wednesday. She sought their opinions on the nomination of candidates.
The Prime Minister reiterated the parliamentary election would be held as per the Constitution in between Oct 24 this year and Jan 24 next under the incumbent government.
The 18-Party alliance led by the BNP has been on the streets demanding a non-party caretaker administration, scrapped through the 15th Amendment of the Constitution, to oversee the polls. It also demands the dissolution of Parliament before the polls.
AL presidents and general secretaries of Dinajpur, Jamalpur, Rajbarhi, Manikganj, Lalmonirhat, Gazipur, Bhola districts, Upazilas, Thanas and first-class municipal committees attended the meetings.
The Prime Minister asked the grass-roots leaders to recommend three candidates for their constituencies and mark them on a scale of 100. Each president and general secretary was given a form with 10 questions, which were submitted before the meeting ended.
Hasina said her party would nominate candidates for the next polls based on her surveys and opinions of the leaders on the ground. “We followed a similar procedure while nominating candidates in 2008,” she said.
“I’ve seen that opinions of the grassroots leaders and that of mine are 90 percent correct.” The Awami League won a landslide in the 2008 polls.
She hoped other political parties would also finalise their candidates. “Those who are ready to sacrifice and serve the people would get nominations,” the two-time Prime Minister said.
Ruling party leaders have said Hasina would meet district-level leaders in phases. -Bdnews24.com
