Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Monday 31 deceMber 2018

16 dead in Bangladeshi vote opposition calls ‘farcical’

By JULHAS ALAM The two women have been
EMILY SCHMALL in and out of power — and
Associated Press prison — for decades.
DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) In Zia's absence, opposition
— More than a dozen peo- parties formed a coalition
ple were killed in election- led by Hossain, an 82-year-
related violence in Bangla- old Oxford-educated law-
desh on Sunday, as voters yer and former member
went to the polls to decide of Hasina's Awami League
whether to give Prime Min- party.
ister Sheikh Hasina a third Both sides were hoping to
consecutive term amid avoid a repeat of 2014,
opposition claims that her when Zia and the Bangla-
leadership has become in- desh Nationalist Party boy-
creasingly authoritarian. cotted elections and voter
The leader of Bangladesh's turnout in the South Asian
opposition alliance called nation of 160 million was
Sunday's vote "farcical," only 22 percent. More than
saying any outcome would half of the 300 parliamen-
be rejected and demand- tary seats were uncontest-
ing that a new election be ed. The Awami League's
held under the authority landslide victory was met
of a "nonpartisan govern- with violence that left at
ment." least 22 people dead.
The election campaign Bangladeshi women line up outside a polling station to cast their votes in Dhaka, Bangladesh, On Sunday, some 104 mil-
was marred by allegations Sunday, Dec. 30, 2018. lion people in the Muslim-
of arrests and jailing of Associated Press majority country were eligi-
thousands of Hasina's op- ble to vote, including many
ponents. districts in election-related The election campaign democracy, Hasina has young, first-time voters.
Opposition leader Kamal violence. was marred by the arrests promoted a different nar- Walking with a cane, Hos-
Hossain said a few hours af- In the run-up to the elec- and jailing of what the op- rative, highlighting an am- sain cast his vote near his
ter voting ended that about tion, activists from both the position said were thou- bitious economic agenda home in Dhaka, saying he
100 candidates from the al- ruling party and the opposi- sands of Hasina opponents, that has propelled Bangla- was receiving complaints
liance had withdrawn from tion complained of attacks including six candidates for desh past larger neighbors about vote-tampering and
their races during the day. on supporters and candi- Parliament. Pakistan and India by some intimidation from various
He said the alliance would dates. "Hasina's use of the state development measures. parts of the country.
hold a meeting Monday to On Sunday, The Associated machinery to subjugate Voters "will give us another The more than 40,000 poll-
decide its next course. Press received more than the opposition virtually en- opportunity to serve them ing stations nationwide
"We call upon the Election 50 calls from people across sures her electoral victory," so that we can maintain closed at 4 p.m., as the Is-
Commission to declare this the country who identified said Sasha Riser-Kositsky, a our upward trend of de- lamic call to prayer came
election void and demand themselves as opposition South Asia analyst for the velopment, and take Ban- over loudspeakers.
a fresh election under a supporters complaining of New York-based Eurasia gladesh forward as a de- At a polling station in the
nonpartisan government," intimidation and threats, Group. veloping country," Hasina ancient city of Panam Na-
Hossain told reporters at a and being forced to vote Hasina has expressed con- said after casting her ballot gar, about 20 kilometers (12
nationally broadcast news in front of ruling party men fidence in the outcome, along with her daughter miles) southeast of Dhaka,
conference. inside polling booths. inviting election observ- and sister in Dhaka. the counting of the roughly
Calls to several Hasina "Some stray incidents have ers and foreign journalists Hasina's main rival is former 1,600 votes cast began im-
aides seeking comment happened. We have asked to her official residence Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, mediately after voting end-
were not immediately re- our officials to deal with on Monday, when the re- the leader of the opposi- ed. Plastic bins full of paper
turned. them," K.M. Nurul Huda, sults were expected to be tion Bangladesh Nationalist ballots were dumped onto
Bangladesh's leading Bangladesh's chief election known. Party, who a court deemed a sheet on the floor, where
English-language newspa- commissioner, said as he While rights groups have ineligible to run for office 10 people sat in a circle
per, the Daily Star, said 16 cast his vote in the capital, sounded the alarms about because she is in prison for to organize and count the
people were killed in 13 Dhaka. the erosion of Bangladesh's corruption. votes.q