Defeated leader Khaleda Zia rejects 'rigged' poll in Bangladesh

by Sanjay Jha | December 30, 2008 at 10:35 pm

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Defeated former premier of Banladesh Khaleda Zia has rejected the Parliamentary elections results saying that election was stage managed and rigged.

In her first reaction to Monday's voting, Ms Zia said she believed the results did not reflect the people's will. She has complained of fraud and forgery at more than 200 polling stations.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia early today said Monday's general election was stage-managed and farcical, and so its results are not acceptable to her party.

"By declaring pre-set results, the Election Commission (EC) has shown the polls did not reflect the public opinion," she said.

The former prime minister was reading out a statement at a press conference at her Gulshan office minutes after midnight.

Earlier, she had a four-hour meeting with the party's standing committee members.

Khaleda said there is no instance of such a 'massive ballot rigging' that took place on December 29.

"At first I want to thank the chief election commissioner for stage-managing the parliamentary election and clearing the way for introducing 'new BAKSAL," she said in a sarcastic voice.

Asked if BNP rejects the results, she replied, "You know what unacceptable means.”

She continued, "The election results bear testimony to sound implementation of the blue print that we spoke of time and again.”

Some of the BNP leaders who always won elections in the past have suffered defeat this time, she said.