Disputes keep Bangladesh election date in doubt

DHAKA, Jan 17 (Reuters) Disputes over overhauling Bangladesh's election system have made it impossible so far to set a new date for polls which were postponed amid street violence last week, a top official said today.

The comments by Mainul Hosein, a key adviser in the interim administration of the troubled South Asian nation, came a day after its caretaker chief completed forming his team and set the stage for organising the vote that was originally due on January 22.

Although diplomats and political analysts had said the vote could be held in about three months' time, Hosein said he was not so sure.

''There are disputes about the election commission, and we have to do something about it, reorganise, reconstitute the election commission,'' said Hosein, who heads the information, law and parliamentary affairs ministries.

''Unless we ... have a dependable, active election commission, it is difficult to say (polls can be held) within three months, within four months, two months,'' he told Reuters in an interview. ''As soon as we can, that is the simplest answer, easiest answer.'' Bangladesh witnessed dramatic political changes last week when President Iajuddin Ahmed put off the elections, imposed emergency laws and stepped down as head of the interim administration.

His decisions came after weeks of violent protests by an alliance of parties led by the powerful Awami League, which accused him of favouring its rivals.

The Awami League has demanded that the voters' rolls be redone, alleging that they had been manipulated, while others have sought the introduction of voter identity cards, transparent ballot boxes and appointment of impartial election officials.

While some election experts have said new voter rolls could be drawn up in less than two months, other say it could take longer as it involves about 80 million voters in the country of 140 million.

Making identification cards or creating an electronic database would take longer, they say.

Besides reforming the election machinery, the administration also needed to prevent the use of illegal funds and stop armed groups from corrupting the poll process, Hosein said.

''These are the problems and we have a short time and that makes a difficult situation more difficult.'' With corruption likely to be a key issue in the elections, former army ruler Hossain Mohammad Ershad won a reprieve in a graft case today.

Ershad was given bail after he surrendered before a Dhaka court that had sentenced him to two years in prison for squandering state funds in a deal to purchase patrol boats from Japan while he was in power.

Ershad seized power in a bloodless coup in early 1982 and was ousted in a people's revolt in 1990. He leads the Jatiya Party and is expected to contest the elections.

Reuters MS RS1903