Bangladesh's controversial election chief resigned Sunday after months of protests by opposition parties led to the postponement of polls scheduled for Monday, an official said.
Chief Election Commissioner M.A. Aziz had already been sidelined by taking three months leave in November in response to opposition protests so that an interim government could hold general elections without him overseeing them.
"He called on the president on Sunday afternoon and tendered his resignation," election commission spokesman S.M. Asaduzzaman said.
"Over the past few weeks, the political situation has changed rapidly. In order to prevent ... an undesirable situation, I have resigned from the post of CEC (chief election commissioner)," he said in a statement. Aziz, a former Supreme Court justice, was accused by opposition parties of rigging polls in favour of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led government, which ended its six-year term in October.
The opposition parties pledged to boycott the polls, sparking a political crisis that saw the previous caretaker government chief, President Iajuddin Ahmed, and his cabinet stand down on January 11 after cancelling disputed elections and imposing a state of emergency. Ahmed retained the post of president.
The new government led by former central bank governor Fakhruddin Ahmed pledged to undertake a string of reforms to win the confidence of opposition parties, led by the Awami League.
The reforms are expected to include a new voter list, identity cards, transparent ballot boxes and the depoliticisation of the civil service.
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