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Bangladesh election tests future of young democracy

voters

Voters want peace, security, jobs

June 12, 1996
Web posted at: 2:00 p.m. EDT (1800 GMT)

DHAKA, Bangladesh (CNN) -- After years of military dictatorships, coups and assassinations, Bangladesh Wednesday held its second free election in its 25 years of independence.

Voters walked, rowed boats and bicycled to the polls, some standing in long lines. Above all, they hope for a fair election to end a political standoff that has paralyzed their impoverished nation.

Final results were not expected until Thursday. Polls predicted that no party would win a majority in Parliament.

Three hours after the polls closed, Bangladesh election officials gave preliminary results, saying that candidates from the Bangladesh Awami League, the main opposition party, was leading in four of the 300 seats being contested in Parliament. There were 2,500 candidates.

As voters waited their turn, men and women stood in separate lines in keeping with the Islamic traditions of the mostly Muslim nation of 120 million people.

On the ballots, candidates and parties were identified by symbols to help the many illiterate voters. Independent election observers are monitoring the polls, 200 from overseas and 30,000 from within Bangladesh.

The main parties competing in the Bangladesh election are:

Hasina


Zia was forced to quit in favor of a non-party caretaker government after her party's landslide victory in the February 15 general election, which was widely condemned as rigged, something Hasina fears will happen again.

Election violence

At least 20 people died in clashes between rival political groups during the monthlong campaign. There were two deaths Wednesday. Fearing further violence, the government deployed 40,000 soldiers to help 400,000 police and security forces maintain order.

troops

But gun battles between rival political activists killed one person outside a polling station in Chittagong, and another who had just voted inside a different site, police said.

Turbulent democracy

Since winning independence in 1971, Bangladesh has seen two presidents assassinated, three coups and 18 failed takeover attempts. Military or quasi-military governments have ruled the poor, overpopulated country for 15 years.

But in 1990, a pro-democracy movement unseated Ershad as leader. A year later, the nation's first genuinely free election created Zia's civilian government. She is the widow of President Ziaur Rahman, whose assassination brought her into politics.

Corruption alleged

Zia continued the free-market reforms of her predecessor, and the economy of Bangladesh began to improve. But when opposition leader Hasina accused the governing party of election corruption, she demanded that Zia resign.

zia

Hasina also blames Zia's late husband of being involved in the plot that killed her father, President Sheik Mujibur Rahman.

For two years, general strikes organized under Hasina's leadership crippled the economy, froze the government and saw most opposition legislators leave Parliament.

The election campaign has not raised major issues. The election manifestos of most major political parties differ only in emphasis. They promise to strengthen democracy and a free-market economy. Voters say what matters to them is peace, security and jobs.

India Bureau Chief Anita Pratap and Associated Press contributed to this report.


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